October 1865


1 October 1865 • Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 1/65. Attended meeting at the Bowery this morning and afternoon. I spoke and was followed by Bro Franklin D. Richards in the morning. In the afternoon Bro. Woodruff spoke, and as soon as he sat down up jumped Rob’t. Williams – a man that is little better than crazy – and spoke for about 20 minutes. Bro. E. D. Woolley followed. The meetings were very excellent, and a good many strangers were present. Attended quorum meeting at 5 p.m. The propriety of making peace with the Indians who had <been> committing depredations was asked by Pres. Young of the Twelve. It was deemed wiser to do this than to fight them. [Col. Irish, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, related to the President that he would be giving him clothes and other miscellaneous things to be given to the Indians for them to stop their fighting, and the President deemed that they should give all those these resources to them in order to stop this warring and also to save the lives of our brethren, to keep them from dying in war.]1 I spent the evening writing <a letter for Bro. Brigham> to the President Hyde, the Bishops, Presiding Elders and brethren of Sanpete Co. and up the Sevier, informing them of our intention to make them presents and try and secure a peace; also a letter to Bro. D. B. Huntington requesting him to find Sandpitch and inform of our wishes and for him to send an indian messenger to the disaffected Indians informing them of our wishes. what we want and asking them to come in and make peace.

2 October 1865 • Monday

Monday, Oct. 2/65. Busy writing at Office all day.

3 October 1865 • Tuesday

Tuesday, 3/65 do. do.

4 October 1865 • Wednesday

Wednesday, 4/65 do do

5 October 1865 • Thursday

Thursday, 5/65 do. do. Had an attack of chills this evening. I came home and spent the evening with Bro. Naile and his wife. My wife Elizabeth went <had gone> to the Theatre this evening in company with her sister-in-law, Adelia Hoagland before I got home. A little before <I thought> the Theatre would let out I went there to escort them home.

Da My brother David and his folks and my sister Elizabeth spent the afternoon at my house.

6 October 1865 • Friday

Friday, Oct. 6/65. Met in Conference this morning, being the first Semi-annual Conference that I have had the privilege of attending in this City for 16 years. President Heber C. Kimball spoke at some length, and was followed by Bro. Alfred Randall who gave a description of his mission to the Sandwich Islands. In the afternoon Bro. Erastus Snow described the condition of the Settlements outside the rim of the Basin and afterwards spoke excellently on principle. He was followed by Bro. Rich and Bro. Hyde, describing their <his> places place of residence – the former at Bear Lake and the latter Valley.

7 October 1865 • Saturday

Saturday, Oct. 7/1865. President D. H. Wells arrived this morning very unexpectedly. We were not expecting him until to-morrow and a telegram which he sent from Bridger to Pres. Young was not delivered until after his arrival. Several brethren calculated to go out to meet him with the band and an escort; but his early arrival disappointed them. He looks pretty well considering the fatiguing journey which he had just finished. He attended meeting this forenoon. Judge Phelps, Bro’s. Hyde and Geo. A. Smith, spoke in the forenoon and Bro. Brigham and Elder Taylor in the afternoon. The first business this afternoon was the presenting of the authorities to the Conference for their the Saints’ votes. Bro. Brigham called upon me to present them. A vote was taken to continue this Conference until the Servants of God should feel to say that is enough. It was on this point that Bro. Brigham spoke, and he did so very spiritedly. Bro. Taylor spoke powerfully upon the gospel. Bishop C. W West and his wife Mary (my wife Elizabeth’s sister) and Adelia Hoagland took supper at my house, with Bro. J. C Naile and folks who came here on Thursday to spend Conference.

8 October 1865 • Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 8/65. Bro. Brigham called upon me to speak this morning, which I did to a very large congregation. I enjoyed great freedom and power which I feel to thank God for. Bro. Geo. A. also spoke in <a> very happy and effective manner. In the afternoon Bro. Wells spoke lengthily and was followed by Bro. Brigham in a few remarks that contained many sermons in a short space. We met between 5 and 6 p.m. in our quorum circle meeting. There were present Bro. Brigham and Bro. Wells of the First Presidency and all <of> the twelve apostles who are in the Territory with the exception of Bro’s. Woodruff and Lyman who are sick. There were nine of the Twelve present. The propriety of sending teams down this coming Spring to help up the poor was discussed and a motion was made and carried that we send down 500 teams to help up the poor. It commenced storming, and we adjourned to Bro. Brigham’s Office, and spent a very agreeable evening there conversing on various subjects. Elders John Taylor, F. D Richards and myself went and administered to Bro. Woodruff.

9 October 1865 • Monday

Monday, Oct. 9/6 A rainy day. Met in Conference in the Tabernacle; Bro’s. F. D. Richards and Lorenzo Snow spoke. In the afternoon I was called by Bro. Brigham to read the article published in the News of Aug. 27, 1865, on the works of Bro. Orson Pratt. Bro. Brigham occupied the remainder of the afternoon, excepting a few remarks that Bro. E. T Benson spoke.

10 October 1865 • Tuesday

Tuesday, Oct. 10/65. The Convention met to-day; but I could not attend being engaged in the Endowment House all day. Seventy-three persons were endowed and 53 sealings were performed, I sealing all of them with some 4 or 5 exceptions. The day’s work was a heavy one. Attended Zion’s Camp Party in the evening; ◊◊ my wife Elizabeth accompanied me. The party was a very agreeable one, considerable speaking and singing being done by the brethren as well as dancing. The food was excellent.

11 October 1865 • Wednesday

Wednesday, Oct. 11/65 Busy in the Office.

12 October 1865 • Thursday

Thursday, Oct. 12/65 do. do.

13 October 1865 • Friday

Friday, Oct. 13/65. Busy at the Office. Took dinner at <with> Bro. Brigham at his beehive house, where Sister Lucy D Young lived, Bro. Erastus Snow and wife and son and daughter dined there also.

14 October 1865 • Saturday

Saturday, Oct. 14/65. Attended Endowment House and sealed, among other labors, 25 couple. Bro. Brigham sealed 1 couple and Bro Heber 8 couple.

15 October 1865 • Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 15/65. Met at the Tabernacle to-day. Brother Wm Willes and President D. H. Wells occupied the forenoon, and Bro’s. Joseph W Young and Amasa M. Lyman the afternoon. Attended Quorum meeting. Bro. Brigham was absent, being very sick with a cold; also Bro. Heber. Bro’s Wells, Taylor, Woodruff, G. A. Smith, A. M. Lyman, Erastus Snow and myself were present, and Brother Joseph F. Smith. My health was poor, having caught a severe cold.

16 October 1865 • Monday

Monday, Oct. 16/65 Spent the most of the day at the Historian’s Office with the Twelve selecting Missionaries to strengthen the Southern Settlements. Spent the evening with Pres. Young in his bedroom, where he has been confined since Saturday evening by sickness.

17 October 1865 • Tuesday

Tuesday, 17th, 1865. In the Office most of the day; but felt very sick from cold. <My brother David started home to-day>

18 October 1865 • Wednesday

Wednesday, 18th, 1865. Attended Endowment House, and among other labors, sealed 8 couples. There were 13 couples sealed; Bro. Heber and I did the sealing. In the Office the balance of the day and evening. I have felt somewhat better to-day. My wife Elizabeth gave my feet a good soaking in hot water and put a hot flat-iron to them after I got into bed, which threw me into a profuse perspiration.

19 October 1865 • Thursday

Thursday, Oct. 19/65. Busy in the President’s Office all day.

20 October 1865 • Friday

Friday, 20/65. [My first wife was upset this morning about my going to pick up my wives and take them home from the theatre last night. The two of them simply went by themselves, but I thought it was necessary for me to go there for them and to accompany them from the theatre to my house because of the large number of strangers and ill-spirited individuals at the door and on the street in front of the Theatre hall.]2 At the Endowment House to-day. there were 59 persons who received their endowments, and 30 <Thirty couple> Sealed. Bro Heber sealed 7 couple and I 23 couple. Busy at the Office. I was called Saturday, Oct. 21/65. upon this evening between 9 and 10 to go to the 6th Ward to administer to Sister Thomassen formerly from Copenhagen, who is possessed of an evil spirit. Bro. Priestly came for me.

21 October 1865 • Saturday

Saturday, Oct. 21/65 Went down again this morning in Company with Bro. F. D. Richards and Joseph F Smith to administer to Sister Thomassen. At 2 P.M. accompanied Bro. Brigham to the Endowment House, and he called upon me to seal couples, among the rest a second wife by the name of Watts to Bro. E. L Sloan. After which we drove down to Bro. Hooper’s where we dined. There were present: Presidents Young and Wells, Bro. Geo. A. Smith, Gov. Durkee, Mr. Head, the Gov.’s friend and private Secretary, Jas. Street, Waddy Street, Mr. Tracy, Treasurer of the O. M. Stage Co., Col. Irish[,] Super’t. Indian Affairs, Mr. Jone’s and myself. The dinner passed off very pleasantly.

22 October 1865 • Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 22/65. Went to meeting this morning; Bro’s. Geo. Reynolds, F A. Hammond and I spoke. In the afternoon I accompanied Bro. Brigham to the Endowment House where Bro. Wm C Staines took to himself another wife, a widow of Thos S. Williams, maiden name Priscilla Mogridge. Went to the Tabernacle and reached in time to say Amen to Bro. Woodruff’s remarks. Attended Quorum meeting at 5 P.M. Bro’s D H Wells, Woodruff, Geo. A. Smith, Joseph F Smith and myself were present. I took supper at Bro. Woodruff’s. In evening went to 14th Ward Meeting. Bro. Woodruff spoke and I followed.

23 October 1865 • Monday

Monday, Oct. 23/65. Busy at Office all day. I returned home at supper time, and went to the Office again and stayed until 10 P.M. reading sermon for Press to the President. [243 Hawaiian words redacted because they address deeply personal matters between Cannon and his family.] [My heart is extremely saddened by this matter, and I pray to God that he will help me and give me wisdom and also show me the right path to take because I greatly desire with the energy of my soul to do the works of my Father in Heaven, and [pray] that he will redeem me and my wives and my entire family. It is God who will help me and bless me because of Jesus, and this is my prayer to him. Amen.]3

24 October 1865 • Tuesday

Tuesday, Oct. 24/65. Went to the Endowment House. Busy in the Office the remainder of the day. In the evening accompanied Bro Brigham down to the Theatre, and stopped while they performed two acts of the “Lady of Lyons.”

25 October 1865 • Wednesday

Wednesday, Oct 25/65. I was quite sick all day, considerable pain in my bowels attended with a dysentery and a touch of flux.

26 October 1865 • Thursday

Thursday, Oct. 26/65. Busy in Office all day. Received a letter from John S. Hittell, Editor of the Alta California, an infidel who took considerable interest in my efforts in publishing the “Western Standard”, introducing E. W. Perry, Esq., an artist of considerable distinction. He also had two letters of introduction for <to> President Young. The news this evening from the last company (W. S. S. Willis Captain) is that they are 40 miles East of the Sweetwater, 380 miles from this City, and that the snow is two feet on the level and four feet in the hollows. Steps are being taken by Pres. Young to send out more help to that Company.

27 October 1865 • Friday

Friday, Oct. 27/65 The news from the Emigration is very saddening and I feel to sympathize with their condition exceedingly. Went to the Endowment House this morning. Bro. H C Kimball sealed 5 couple and I 13 couple.

28 October 1865 • Saturday

Saturday, Oct. 28/65. At the Endowment House. I Sealed 9 couple and Bro H C Kimball one couple

29 October 1865 • Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 29/65. My son John Q. was brought home by Bro. Naile from Lehi last night. We were all delighted to see him. Attended meeting morning and afternoon. Bro’s. Mathew Lyon, Wilford Woodruff, Finley C. Free and myself spoke in the forenoon. I had good liberty. Bishop Sharp spoke in the afternoon. Attended Quorum meeting after the afternoon meeting; Bro’s. Brigham, Woodruff, John W. <Young> and myself were present. In the evening I attended meeting at the 7th Ward and spoke and [had] excellent liberty.

30 October 1865 • Monday

Monday, Oct. 30th/65. Busy at the Office. I took dinner with Bro. Brigham at Bro. John W. Young’s. I went with Bro. Brigham to Savage & Ottinger’s gallery where he gave Mr. J. Wood Perry, Jr., a sitting for a portrait.

31 October 1865 • Tuesday

Tuesday, Oct. 31/65. Busy at Office. Went with Bro. Brigham again while he gave another sitting for his portrait.

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October 1865, The Journal of George Q. Cannon, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon/1860s/1865/10-1865