Ep 19 Jesse Perse Harmon Pt 3: Kirtland ⛪️ Family & Faith 🙏 Immigration to Illinois 🐎

👉Jesse Perse Harmon👈(family tree 🌳 link)
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/KWJH-BL8

In 1837 Kirtland, Ohio, Jesse Harmon witnesses a community in turmoil, grappling with the fallout of the Kirtland Safety Society collapse and deeper cultural upheaval. His brother Alpheus, committed to their faith, explains that the challenges they face aren't just financial but a clash of ideas, with their prophet Joseph Smith seeking to weave spiritual principles into all aspects of life. Amidst the discontent and threats of violence, Jesse realizes the importance of faith, loyalty, and the courage to lead his family in uncertain times. As they prepare to leave Kirtland, Jesse embraces his faith, recognizing that true strength comes from unity, resilience, and unwavering belief in a higher purpose.

PEOPLE & Groups:
Jesse Perse Harmon, KWJH-BL8
Henry Martin Harmon, KWZB-8Q8
Maryland Militia
British
Anna Barnes Harmon, KWJH-BLZ
Alpheus Harmon (LZ8N-QCH)
Hulda Dimeras Vaughn, KWJR-DPZ
Caroline Harmon, LLSF-C63
Henry Martin Harmon, KWZB-8Q8
Appleton Harmon, KWJH-BLC
Amos Washington Harmon, LL31-D4J
Sophronia Melinda Harmon, LKVY-8SF
Ansil Perse Harmon, L5DD-YTG
Joseph Smith Jr. (KWJY-BPD)
Enoch
Moses
Saints
Sons of 76
William Beals
Jonah
Saul
Peter
Warren Parrish, LWHS-3BH
Lick-Skillets
Brigham Young, KWJH-9QN
Mary Ann Young, KWJJ-ZL9
Sydney Rigdon (KWV9-HF7)
Charlie (Joseph’s Horse)
Punxsutawney Phil
Mormon
Josiah Butterfield, KWJR-YPV
Kirtland Camp
John Lamoreaux, LHX6-LV4
Tories
Jesus Christ
God
Elijah Cheney, KWVH-256
Holy Ghost

Transcript

Opening scene

How do you do? My name is Jesse Perse Harmon. Just a quick recap of my story thus far. I was born on August 11, 1795, in the Vermont Republic. 

I was 15 when my mother died in December of 1810. 

In June of 1812 my older brother Martin and I joined the the 22nd regiment, Maryland Militia to fight in what is now known as the war of 1812…I was only 17, and Martin 19. 

We were in numerous conflicts, my brother was mortally wounded at the Battle of Lacolle Mill in Canada, and died at Little Chézy, NY where I buried him 17 April 1814 (in his 21st year). 

While taking shelter during the war in an abandoned cabin, some soldiers and I were resting and preparing a meal, when the British ambushed us with Cannon Fire, which entered the cabin and exploded with such force that all others were dismembered and killed. I was the sole survivor.

After retiring from the service I met and married Anna Barnes on the 29 April 1819. We moved here and there throughout the burgs and villages along the shores of Lake Erie from Pennsylvania and into Ohio. I lived close to my family most of the time, especially my brother Alpheus and his family. 

In 1834 my brother Alpheus & his wife Huldah succumbed to what can only be described as a…well, a spiritual beckoning, and that there feeling moved them to Kirtland, Ohio, where their new church was headquartered.

In the autumn of 1837 Anna and I moved into that same bustling and predominantly religious settlement of Kirtland, Ohio, as my brother and his Mrs had done. We arrived just as the kettle of unity was fixin to boil over into secular chaos and community violence.

It’s August of 1837. Kirtland is at the height of its growth.

(Travis) Jesse: Come on ol girl. Just a quick visit to my brother and then we’ll head back to the barn.

Jesse: Whoa…I think this might be the place. 

Alpheus: Jesse…Brother!

Jesse: it’s good to see you again Alpheus. 

Alpheus: come on in, have a seat. Welcome to Kirtland. I was beginning to think i wouldnt see you again. Hulda…children, look who’s here. Uncle Jesse.

Caroline: Hi Uncle Jesse

Henry Martin Harmon: Hi Uncle Jesse

Hulda: Hello Jesse, good to see you

Jesse: hold on there Alpheus, do my eyes deceive me? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…My goodness Alpheus, are you attempting to multiply and replenish the earth on your own?

Alpheus: Well somebody’s gotta do it…might as well be a Harmon.

Jesse: that Lake Erie effect on thunder storms is quite the experience.

Alpheus: I sure hope it quiets down before bedtime…over here Jesse, set by the fire and lets catch up. How is the Mrs and the family?

Jesse: They are fine, just fine. Anna is the finest wife a man could hope for. She got baptized into you church you know. Appleton just turned 17 in the spring. Sophie became a teenager. Amos will be a decade around harvest season, and Ansil is at the tender age of 5 years but tough as any other boy twice his age. 

Alpheus: That sounds about right from a father not even a British cannonball could kill. It’s certainly the Harmon blood you gave him Jesse. Sounds like your family is thriving….Say, I’m a bit hungry brother, Would you like some bread and milk?

Jesse: Yes please…with honey.

Alpheus: Help yourself big brother

Jesse: Alpheus….Anna & I have been here in the Ohios for only a few short weeks…and I have to ask…um, what’s going on in this town?!? 

Alpheus: What do you mean?

Jesse: I seem to have arrived in the midst of troubled times. It feels like this community is coming apart at the seams.

Alpheus: Oh that. Aye, that it is & that you did. Our community is in uproar…partly over the Kirtland bank failure. Well Jesse, even though pocketbooks are a sensitive parts of a man’s soul…it’s more than just the bank failure. It's an all around tumultuous time to be sure.

Jesse: Yeah I never figured it was just the bank thing, lots of them financial institution across the region have been going under. Countless folks have lost money and friends and reputation all over the countryside. None more here in Kirtland than your prophet Joseph Smith on all accounts. I've heard whispers of the discontent. Folks around here offer you their 2 cents like they is making change for a hundred. What do you make of it all, Alpheus?

Alpheus: what most folks dont see is that this is NOT a financial crisis, this is a cultural war over new ideas that weave religion and spirituality throughout secular society.

Jesse: You mean like Enoch and Moses did?

Alpheus: Yessir. Leading people into a new way of thinking is not a cake walk. Yunno Jesse, this ordeal has weeded out a third of the elite leadership, those who are well educated, and prosperous. God has His ways of separating the sheep from the goats. His ledger is a bit different than one we might keep score on. 

Jesse: So you’re saying adversity is a better environment for making Saints?

Alpheus: Mhm. It sure seems that way. It's a complicated matter, Jesse. Some, as I, believe Joseph to be a prophet, while others accuse him of deceit and manipulation and then there’s the accusations of secular meddling against Joseph Smith. The divide among our neighbors has never been so deep.

Jesse: And where do you stand, Alpheus? After two years in Kirtland, what is your impression of Joseph and the faith he preaches?

Alpheus: well thats just it Jesse, he doesn’t just preach it…he lives it, and he implements it. I remember Joseph once saying that he’d had great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation, he said it had been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn dodger for a wedge, and a pumpkin for a beetle, or mallet as its commonly known. Even the believers are slow to understand. He even said that after years of trying to get the minds of the saints prepared to receive the things of God, and after suffering all they put in for the work of God…they still fly to pieces like glass, as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions. Its them dagblasted traditions Jesse. 

Jesse: Oh, you’s talking about the American civil religion model that most of us grew up in. Where we do our business 6 days a week, and on the seventh day a preacher teaches us some morals mingled with doctrine. And with all that comes the expectation that God doesnt have place in our politics, our property, or our economic organization. 

Alpheus: Yeah, thats the “Sons of 76” attitude. Whatever Joseph is being guided to do, he has definitely turned that model inside out. That there is the uproar. Not the bank failure. Here look at this…Have you seen this platt map of Kirtland that William Beals put together?

Jesse: That looks pretty organized. And you say Joseph is responsible for laying this out? What’s this building in the very center of the town? Is that your temple?

Alpheus: yep, exactly. See my point? You’d think that planning an entire community around the pinnacle of religious worship would have some profound meaning. Some folks just cant see the forest for the trees. I've seen both the good and the bad, Jesse. Joseph has brought hope and unity to many, but there are many who foster doubts and spread suspicions. I reckon the truth lies somewhere in between.

Jesse: i reckon youre right Alpheus, There’s been lots worse’s things done on purpose in the purported name of God.

Alpheus: yeah….thats what taking the Lord’s name, or rather as the Biblical Hebrew clarifies, that what “carryin the Lord’s name in vain” actually means. It aint none of those words we speak to the milk cow when she kicks the bucket of milk. Thats just bad grammar. What’s MUCH worse is carrying about doing destructive things to humanity AS IF you were acting out the will of God. Thats bein vain filled, and acting where you ought not. Joseph might be misunderstood, but as far as I can tell he ain’t never done nothin out of malice, nor for his own personal gain at the expense of others.

Jesse: It's a delicate balance, then—navigating between faith and skepticism, loyalty and doubt. As far as I know Prophets aren’t infallible, and any man who expects that outta be held to the same standard. Look at Jonah, or Saul, Moses, or Peter

Alpheus: Its one thing for a man of God to transform a congregation, its a whole other thing, and a hard one at that, for a man of God to upend traditions in order to transform an entire community. 

It’s become threats of violence by those expecting perfection from Joseph…within and without the church. They’re talking lynchings. 

Jesse: Lynchings? why brother? What would drive a man to open threats of murder like that? lynchin is a bit rash for a man who aims to make his debts good. Why would they do that?

Alpheus: Why would they do it to anyone? Fear, uncertainty, they’re mad about the anti-bank, or paper money, the dead bodies we have in the top floor of the temple, our religious beliefs, the growing political influence…take your pick. 

Jesse: Wait…you have dead bodies on the top floor of the temple?

Alpheus: Well yeah…the mummies Joseph had to purchase with the Abrahamic scrolls. 

Jesse: oh those, Lord a Mighty, why didn’t you just say it that way?

Alpheus: Eh…I figured it’d lighten the mood a bit brother. You know Jesse, It kinda makes sense from the outside perspective. We are an odd group, even a peculiar people.

Jesse: You speak true words, Alpheus. Whatever trials lie ahead, we'll face them together, as brothers should.

Alpheus: Aye, we have our bond as brothers, Jesse. Together, we can weather any storm that comes our way, drawing strength from each other and from the faith that binds us. 

Jesse: I better get home before this weather gets too bad….Dont be a stranger brother. Anna and the kids would love to see you and the family again. Let’s get them together soon. 

Alpheus: I’m guessing a picnic at the Chagrin River would be memorable. There’s a nice spot just off the Markell Road where the kids can swim and play. 

Jesse: Sounds nice. Let’s plan on that. Night Alpheus

Alpheus: Good night Jesse. Its good to see you again big brother. 

1837

There was a period of relative calm, but by late fall of 1837…dissent erupted again in Kirtland, this time violently. An apostate faction led by Warren Parrish rejected Joseph’s leadership altogether and created a short-lived splinter church and began ridiculing those who still followed Joseph, whom they called the Lick-Skillets. The apostates were angry, the anti-Mormons were coming after Joseph, he had meddled into secular affairs, the Kirtland Safety Society had failed, the economy nationwide was in crisis. Emotions ran high, and many lives were threatened—especially those who dared to defend Joseph. None was more threatened than a recent, yet devout convert from Mendon, NY by the name of Brigham Young.

During an entire year of boldly defending Joseph, Brigham had angered many people and now feared for his life. Though his ailing wife Mary Ann was about to give birth to twins, he fled to Missouri on December 22, 1837. There he prepared a place where his wife and family soon joined him on a quiet farm some miles away from Far West, where troubles were already brewing. Here Brigham could have the peace and privacy needed to nurse his wife back to health.

1838

As Brigham fled Kirtland in late 1837, Joseph was also planning to move as soon as possible. His life repeatedly threatened by dissidents and pursued by creditors, he learned in January 1838 of his impending arrest on a charge of illegal banking—quite likely a ruse devised by his opponents to drive him from Ohio.

As the death threats began to escalate, Joseph smith realized that staying in Kirtland was no longer an option, and fleeing was mandatory even imminent.

In January of 1838 Joseph crept under the cover of darkness and found his way to the home of his trusted counselor Sidney Rigdon. 

(Sidney) Joseph?! Come in out of the weather…..Is everything ok?

(Joseph) No Sidney, everything is not  ok. How soon can you be ready?

(Sidney) Ready for what Joseph?

(Joseph) We need to get out of town Sidney. We have to leave Kirtland.

(Sidney) We just finished the temple….Where will we go? When are you wanting to leave? The end of March or beginning of April will bring better traveling weather and….

(Joseph) I’ll be back at 10. We are going to Missouri. 

(Sidney) ok 10….Wait! 10pm?!? We are going to Missouri tonight?! But you just got back from Missouri a few weeks ago. 

(Joseph) Yes I did. And Charlie still remembers the way. 

(Sidney) Charlie? I dont remember you having a friend named Charlie. Who’s he? 

(Joseph) My trusty steed, Charlie.

(Sidney) well that’s all fine for…..You do realize it’s January and not June. The sap ain’t running this time of year. Not even in Pittsburgh. Can we at least wait until ground hog day and see what ol Punxsutawney Phil has to say about the weather before we venture out in the middle of winter ?

(Joseph) Well Sidney, we dont have a lot of options. We can risk the weather for the couple of days it will take us to make our way southwest of here into Norton, Ohio….or we can stay here and let the mobs string us up…if they don’t shoot us first….At this point I would voluntarily make my way to Egypt, just to get these angry brethren off my back. This mob justice will be the end of us yet…

(Sidney) We are leaving so much behind Joseph. This community, our homes and farms, the temple we just completed…but I would rather remain alive, than keep all my “things” and end up buried here in the near future. 

(Joseph) Amen to that…..we have been given our directive Brother Rigdon. Bring your big bay and fill up your saddle bags. We’ll need a couple days provisions to make it to to Norton. I have friends there we can stay with while our families catch up with us. I have already made arrangements for that to happen. 

On that very night of January 12, 1838, on the shortest of notice, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon left Kirtland, Ohio to avoid arrest and violence. They rode horseback 52 miles to Norton, Ohio, where they lodged with friends, until their families could join them.

In the weeks and months following the departure of the Mormon church’s upper echelon leadership, increased death threats & persecutions haunted the remaining Mormon followers in Kirtland, Ohio. In order to reclaim some neighboring peace, and with a strong desire to reunite with their religious community…following their prophet to the west, and OUT of Kirtland….became the only option.

For various reasons, many were ill prepared to make such a necessary and untimely trek. I for one, had more recently arrived into Kirtland, which gave me less resources in excess, with which to easily uproot. On the other hand my brother Alpheus, his wife Hulda, and their family had been a little more established and were therefore able to make easier preparations for the exodus. The exodus to where?…well we didn’t exactly know. I mean Missouri yes, likely, probably, maybe. Things were so uncertain…except for the fact that our horses needed to be shod, our cattle gathered, poultry caged, wagon wheels soaked, and our families deserved to feel safe…bottom line is that one way or another, we all needed to get a move on.

On the 16 March, 1838 those wanting to leave Kirkland, and rejoin the group, met in counsel to strategize a departure that would be orderly and inclusive for those of us less fit out for the journey. 

(Jesse) Well Josiah Butterfield, it’s good to see you.

(Josiah) morning to you as well Jesse…come on in…we’re just about to start. 

(Adult man) “Now brethren the Kirtland Camp Constitution is to help organize each family, rich or poor, Those of you who wish to contract yourselves to the Kirtland Camp Constitution, and help the entirety of those who are less prepared, please step forward…

… Jesse Perse Harmon signed the Kirtland Camp Constitution just after John Lamoreaux ✍️, Conversation ensues.

(Jesse Perse Harmon) Excuse me sir…Hey, Its John Lamoreaux, yes? 

(John Lamoreaux) That it is.

(Jesse Perse Harmon) I am Jesse Harmon?

(John Lamoreaux) Pleased to meet you Jesse. Or do I say brother Harmon? Please pardon me. I am still new to this Mormon thing. 

(Jesse Perse Harmon) I dont qualify as a “brother” yet. My wife joined up a year or so ago back in Pennsylvania. 

(John Lamoreaux) what you waitin for Jesse?

(Jesse Perse Harmon) I dont know….Thats a good question John. My wife and family, my brothers and theirs have all joined the cause. I’m just not sure if I know enough. I mean what I do know I couldnt never deny. But it’s the rest of it….

(John Lamoreaux) in my experience, It’s not what we don’t know that gets us in trouble. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so. 

(Jesse Perse Harmon) Hmmm, you are right John. And makin a good point. I think I better talk to my Mrs and make a decision. Leading out with faith in a household is pretty important as a husband. By the way John, I heard rumor that your family hails from Canada. Is that so?

(John Lamoreaux) That we do. 

(Jesse Perse Harmon) Is that your homeland? 

(John Lamoreaux) Not exactly, but kinda. England gave my grandparents a place to live when they fled France from religious persecution. And our subsequent refusal to fight against Britain in 1776 got us branded as Tories, so my parents fled with us to Canada when i was around 2 years of age. 

(Jesse) Well john, i for one am glad you are back…i hope you are here to stay.

(Alpheus Harmon) Jesse, hey brother….oh hello John

(John) good day Alpheus…i mean brother Harmon.

(Alpheus) yeah. Same to you. 

(Jesse) What you got going on Alpheus

(Alpheus) i got an ox down, ol Mrs Pickles, she’s stuck in a bog, can you bring your big sorrel and come and give me a hand getting her out?

(Jesse) Certainly brother…by the way, Mr Lamoreaux here has convinced me that it’s time I lead my family in faith by getting baptized.

(John) I did?

(Alpheus) You are?

(Jesse) yeah, its as good a time as any, especially as it seems we are all uprooting for a new promised land. Daddy Harmon is gonna need all the help from heaven possible to explain to my Mrs why traipsing across the country, again, is a good idea. 

(John) Well before you go a traipsin Jesse, dont forget your signature on the Kirtland Camp Constitution

(Jesse) oh yeah, thank you John. All this conversin got me sidetracked…I’ll meet you at your barn in 10 minutes Alpheus.

(Alpheus) Thanks Brother, good to see you again John. Fare thee well.

Even in this time of uncertainties…It was in Kirtland Ohio, on Apr 28, 1838, that I was certain about my faith. 

(Elijah Cheney) Jesse Perse Harmon, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ…

(Jesse) Brother Elijah Cheney (a future brother in law) met me in the waters of baptism. It was 5 years, one month, and a day since my patiently devoted sweetheart had led by example.

(Elijah Cheney) ….in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.

(Jesse Narrating): In the summer months of 1838, more than 500 Mormons left Kirtland, Ohio in the direction of Far West, Missouri.

There was no official decision by this nascent church to either initially organize or to now abandon Kirtland, Ohio. Yet clearly the spirit of gathering took a new focal point that shifted to northern Missouri, and within proximity of Mormon Church leadership. By early 1838 the years of Kirtland’s glory had passed. Latter-Day Saints were eager to find a season of peace after the disastrous year of apostasy in 1837.

The majority of the group who left with the Kirtland Camp were not as well equipped as the others who had already immigrated to Missouri. Those who remained were among the poorest of the poor.

(Martin) Uncle Jesse

(Hulda) hello Jesse

(Jesse) Good morning Hulda…Hello Henry…children

(Jesse) Alpheus, I dont know that I have seen so many people up and moving before sunrise. It looks as if the entirety of Kirtland is leaving town in their loaded wagons. What you got there brother?

(Alpheus) Jesse, I been meaning for you to read this. Got it just a few days ago. 

(Jesse) What is it?

(Alpheus) …its a letter from father.

“Now my dear children, I want you should see this and read it attentively, and remember it is the dying words of your aged Father to you, who never expects to speak or write to you again, but my love for you is as great as it ever was. I desire your welfare. Let us prepare to meet the Lord at his coming, for without Holiness no man can see His face in peace. Alpheus wrote to me to have me GO WITH HIM TO ILLINOIS, but it appeared to me like throwing my life away to undertake such a journey, as it was not that I should have lived to get there. So do not think hard of me for not coming, for if I had got there, the climate is so different that my days would have been very short. So I must conclude my letter by subscribing my letter. 

Your affectionate father,

Martin Harmon”

(Jesse) Well i guess that about does it….It’s not likely we will see father again Alpheus. 

(Alpheus) No. It doesn’t seem likely Jesse….

(Alpheus) I have something that might help your mood a little….Here

(Jesse) whats this? It cant be, is this Hulda’s infamous Blackberry Pie? Good Lord Almighty Alpheus. This is livin in high cotton. 

(Alpheus) the Mrs thought we outta start off on a full belly of good grub, and not leave behind any of last years bottlin…..and…..here’s a jug of some Rootbeer I made yesterday for you and the kids. 

(Jesse) Well Alpheus, ya’ll gonna founder us before sunrise. Speaking a which we outta skedaddle, else we are gonna be guilty of burnin daylight….we got a long day ahead of us. This new routine is gonna be a hard scrabble requiring optimism, thats your job Alpheus….AND humor, thats my pay grade. 

(Alpheus) we are gonna be bringing up the rear in this wagon train….I guess the stragglers will be in good company. 

(Jesse) I believe folks is lining up down the Chillicothe Road headed south toward the quarry. Let’s meet up there just south of William Smith’s place….Wagons Ho brother.

On the 6th of July 1838, about 515 persons, 59 wagons, and 189 head of livestock along with chickens and pets, began the 800 mile journey to Davies County, Missouri. 

(Jesse) Hey kids, why did the sheep cross the road?

(Children) why why why

(Jesse) to get to the Baaaaber shop 🐑✂️

(Kids) you funny uncle Jesse.

(Alpheus) now children don’t encourage him, we can’t survive 800 miles of uncle Jesse’s jokes. 

(Child) another one Uncle Jesse, tell us another one…

(Jesse) Lets see….what is “sis boom baaaa”? 

(Kids) what is it Uncle Jesse?

(Jesse) It’s the sound made when a sheep explodes.

(Alpheus) Not you to Hulda…we are doomed. Well i hope you are proud of yourself Jesse, you have infected all of us with giggle-itis.

(Jesse) Mhm. You’re welcome brother. The Giggle Guru at your service. 

(Alpheus) Dear Lord, help us to survive this trip.

“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit” 

― Edgar A. Guest

During the first month of travel, our groups followed the initial plans without many alterations. 

A trumpet generally awakened our camps at 4:00 a.m, 

and at 4:20 prayers were offered in each tent, which housed about three or four families.

The first of the four divisions generally left camp about 7:00 a.m. and for more than an hour wagons rolled from the encampment. 

We were led by the scouts at the front and created what must have felt like an endless procession of wagons, horses, children, sheep, cattle, and drovers, as we stretched over 9 miles front to back, tail to tip, as we meandered along Ohio's mostly tree-lined country roads. 

We traveled an average of twelve miles a day; stopping in the late afternoon on a farm where we could obtain water, graze our animals and build fires to cook our evening meals.

(Jesse) Henry…how is that ol bay horse doing?

(Henry) he’s doing so good uncle Jesse. 

(Jesse) Nice.

(Henry) Father told me if i rode him the entire way, he would be mine. And I aim to give him a better name.

(Jesse) you dont like the name Sparkles?

(Henry) Naw. Caroline and Elizabeth gave him that before i was old enough to have a say. It’s not fair to this tough ol Morgan horse. I figure he’s had enough of that torture. 

(Jesse) what name should he have?

(Henry) I think SCOUT would suit him just fine. 

(Jesse) Oh yes Henry, thats a fine name for a Morgan. Good choice. 

It’s getting near supper time. I am wondering how our drovers and the livestock are doing. They are usually traveling a bit slower than the wagons. Im thinking about trotting back to see how their progress is going. You dont think Scout would wanna ride back and help punch a few cows do ya?

(Henry) Yes sir Uncle Jesse….he sure would. Scout is good at herding cows. Lets go Scout.

At the end of each days journey, our wagons were placed in a square or circle and the tents pitched so that they formed a rectangular pattern within the circle of wagons. Guards were stationed around the site to keep the horses and cattle from straying. Every evening rations were issued to the various families according to their numbers. We lived primarily on corn and cornmeal, wheat and flour, beans, pork, and dried apples; we shared what milk we got from the cows.

We entered Illinois on 8 Sep. and the following day, the leaders of the group, i being one of them, asked nine or ten families to secure employment in the area of Amboy, Lee County, IL and join the Saints later in MO.

Samuel Tyler recounts: “They were often short of food for themselves and their animals. They frequently ate boiled corn and corn pudding and fed the cobs to their horses so nothing would be wasted.”

At this time a few other families are also leaving the camp because of illness.

On 14 Sep, 1838, Samuel Tyler again recounted, “The size of the company has greatly depleted, the number is now about 260. We are being warned about mob attacks if we cross into Missouri. A war has erupted between the Saints and non-Mormons in Western Missouri. We are being told that we will be driven from the State if we enter its borders.”

On 15 Sep, fifteen or sixteen families made a departure and began to secure employment in the area of Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois. Joel H. Johnson remains with this group to preside over this branch of the Church. 

It’s believed that our Harmon families were among these remaining in Springfield, Illinois in the fall of 1838. If we had not stayed, we may not be telling this story! The 1840 Census of Springfield, Illinois shows our families there.

(Jesse) The winter of 1838 was colder than I’d expected. Snow lay thick on the ground, muffling the sounds of Springfield—a town that, like me, seemed caught between the past and an uncertain future. We’d left Kirtland, Ohio, behind, hoping to find peace and safety somewhere, here for now, away from the threats that had shadowed our every step since joining the Mormon faith. My family needed a place to rest, a place where we could let the dust settle and get our bearings, and Springfield, for all its unfamiliarity, seemed as good a place as any.

(Jesse) Whoa girl…

I made my way into the heart of Springfield, trying to get a feel for the town, my boots crunching on the icy ground as I wandered around the public square. The sky was a dull gray, and the cold gnawed at my face, but it was nothing compared to the weight that sat heavy in my chest. Worry had a way of creeping in when you were trying to keep a family fed and safe, especially when you weren’t sure what tomorrow might bring.

As I walked past one of the buildings, a man stepped out—a tall, lean fellow with dark hair that looked like it had a mind of its own. He wore a long coat, and there was something about him that made me pause. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, or the thoughtful look in his eyes. We made eye contact, and I gave him a polite nod, not wanting to seem unfriendly in a town where I was still a stranger.

(Abraham) Good day to you, sir.

(Jesse) And to you.

(Lincoln) “You seem to be new to our town. If I may ask, what brings you to Springfield?”

(Jesse) “I’ve come from Kirtland, Ohio, with my family. We’ve faced some troubles there—and had to leave rather abruptly—and I’m hoping to find a place of refuge here, at least for the time being.”

(Abraham) “Springfield is a place of opportunity, though it has its own challenges. I find that it’s a town where hard work and perseverance can carve out a good life.” 

(Abraham) “If you’re ever in need of legal advice, or…just someone to talk to, you’ll find me available often enough. I’d be glad to help if I can. My office is just over there, near the Tinsley Building. I’m there most days of the week. If not you can leave message with my partner John, and I promise to call on you as soon as I return.”

(Jesse) Thats mighty kind of you. Thank you, Mr…?”

(Abraham) No Mister necessary…just Abe

(Jesse) Thank you, Abe. I’m Jesse Harmon, and I appreciate your offer. It’s not easy being a stranger in a new place.”

(Abraham) Welcome to Springfield, Jesse. I wish you and your family well.

As I continued down the street, the wind biting at my face, I felt a small ember of hope flicker to life. Maybe Springfield would be more than just a stop on our journey—maybe it could be a place where we could find some peace. And as for Abe, something told me that our paths might cross again. He wasn’t just any man; he seemed to understand the struggles of folks like me, and that was a rare thing.

The snow kept falling as I walked, and I found myself feeling a bit lighter, the burden of worry lifting just a little. I didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, I felt like maybe—just maybe—we were heading in the right direction.

(Jesse) Well there’s the Tinsley Building…This must be Abe’s office, “The Law Firm of Stuart & Lincoln”

(Jesse gets back onto his sleigh and heads for home) 

(Jesse) brrrr. That butcher was right…If you don’t like the weather in Springfield, just wait a few minutes…I better get back home before this next storm blows in. 

(Jesse) Lets get home ol girl. Giddy up…

Well dashing through the snow, you’ve experienced another epic peek into the life of Jesse Perse Harmon. Can you believe theres still more to come? Get your horse a drink of water and check you cinch, Part 4 of this fascinating story is interwoven around some of history’s most memorable moments…Coming up in Jesse’s story we have living in The City Beautiful, catching conspirators from within, riverboat adventures, the first presidential candidate to be assassinated, mob violence, and Jesse’s expulsion from the United States of America. You wont wanna miss it…

When we look over someone else’s life, we are amazed, we are awed, we are emotionally bedazzled at the ordeals they survived and even thrived through. Their life was normal…for them. As your crazy adventures in life will be for you. Part of your ability to be emotionally bedazzled by the life of another is the capacity to FEEL them as they might have experienced their circumstances. They want their lives to be learned from and appreciated for whatever value you can extract of it. Please don’t let the lives of your ancestors be only a name on a family tree or a blip on the radar that fades with each generational reset. I tell you what…there is a profound superpower to be had in making the “Dia de los Muertos” an everyday occasion. Read your ancestor stories, share them with your children. Remember them. Feel them. Learn from them. Because??? Guess why, History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.