AN ANGEL OF MERCY
Elizabeth Standley Osborn Benson
7 March 1838 - 4 May 1919
Part 2 of 3
by Leslie Mikesell Wood
Part 2 - Elizabeth marries and marries and marries:
Elizabeth was still 15 years old when she married her 24 year old brother-in-law Thomas Jefferson Osborn. Jefferson, as he was called, was the eldest child of David Osborn, the 2nd, and Cynthia Butler Osborn who had been with the same wagon train west. Cynthia had died on the trip, leaving her husband with young children. Jefferson was married to Ellen, Elizabeth's older sister. Elizabeth became the second wife in polygamy for the first time.In trying to understand this marriage it is helpful that Jefferson wrote about his wife Ellen and her health in his journal. "On the 13 of Sep 1857 I was married to Ellen Standley daughter of Alexander Schoby and Philinda Upson Standley. I took my wife back to Missouri, rented a room and we took 4 boarders while I still worked for Sam Frost in the Blacksmith shop.
We burned a coalpit, we had to stay with it night and day. We took turns comeing [coming] home for food. I very foolishly tried to test my wifes bravery accordingl [accordingly] I slipped a wedge out so that I could raise the window and slip into the house unperceived by her. O how can I ever make amends. My naturay [naturally] brave wife fell to the floor in a swoon or fit, it was hours before she regained conciousness [consciousness], she never again was the same merry healthy brave woman. But was ever nervous, sleepless and an invalid. Troubled with Nightmare [nightmares] and constant fear or dread of some unseen intruder. She bore her misfortune uncomplainingly. Was industrious, equinomical [economical], very Religious, loving and obedient. Being a helpmete [helpmate] in its true sense. To her wise council [counsel] I often attribute in a measure my success in after life."
Jefferson had had trouble with his health also. In his journal he tells about his first trouble with his lungs. He had several bouts of trouble with them after this experience, and they were eventually the cause of his death:
"I continued working for Frost comeing [coming] home at intervails [intervals]. Frost moved about 3 miles. He had one old cow that kept running back. I was obliged to go for her on foot, this aggrevated [aggravated] me being of a quick temper so one night I procured a Hickery [hickory] cudgel and taking her by the tail I whipped her severely. I retained my hold and ran all the distance home, the consequence was I had over done. before I got the chores done I took a chill, bled at the lungs and was dangerously sick all the rest of the winter. In the spring I recovered and went to work again."
Keeping in mind Elizabeth's kind, sympathetic heart, at her young age she became a member of the Osborn household, taking on household, childcare and nursing duties that would depress a less loving person.
Ellen and Jefferson had been married the year before leaving Nauvoo for Utah. In his journal he wrote, "I married 14 September 1851, Ellen, daughter of Alexander Standley, left my parents and moved to Belleview and worked in a blacksmith shop six months. June 1st I started for Salt Lake and arrived there 9 September 1852." [dates are different than those stated by Church records and some other accounts of the trip]
"I settled in East Weber and put up a house in October. Our child, Cynthia, was born 25 Oct. 1852. The Indians were troublesome and we had to move into a fort.
24 of January 1854 I was married again, (to Elizabeth Standley, sister to Ellen). December 31st we went to my father-in-law, A. S. Standley's burial. My daughter Cynthia took sick the 5th of February 1855 and died and left us without a child. Lydia, our fourth child was born 3 January 1857." Two girls had died in infancy before Cynthia's birth. Two children, Sarah and Thomas Jefferson Jr., were born later to Ellen, the first wife.
Elizabeth had married Jefferson in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City. Rebecca Osborn, born on the 14th of Sept., 1857, and Harriet Esther Osborn, my grandmother, born the 21st of March, 1860, were the only two children of this couple.
The Utah War, was an armed dispute between the Mormon settlers in Utah and the United States government. The trouble lasted from May 1857 until July 1858. They had no pitched battles and was finally resolved through negotiation. The Mormon troops were called the Nauvoo legion.
Jefferson was appointed a Captain of 50 men in the Nauvoo Legion, 1st Company of the 5th battalion, when the Governor of Utah Territory put Utah under martial law. Jefferson mentioned in his journal: "I took a prisoner for 24 hours". In September 1857 he wrote in his journal: "Today I raised 10 men, armed, mounted on horses and a baggage wagon. They all appeared willing to go and the brethren and sisters are to do their best to fit them out with but two exceptions, Brother Parsons is unwell but would rather go himself and take his boots than to have someone else take them. Willie Mullen told his wife his gun was broke when it was not and when I went to see him he was loading his gun for a fuss with me or any other man that might come to take it to use in defense of our country." Even if they could afford them, they were very hard to get, so they had to share their shoes and guns.
At one time thousands of Mormon's abandoned Northern Utah communities including Salt Lake City. A few men were left behind to set the homes and fields on fire if the army arrived. The war was stopped by the cold and snow as much as by the Mormon Legion.
Harriet Jane Osborn Davis, Jefferson's little sister wrote about that time period: "Another sore trial of the Saints came when Johnson"s Army was sent to Utah. Able-bodied men and boys over 18 years of age were required to act of soldiers to keep the army from entering the valley. My future husband was one of these boys, although I did not know him at the time. My brother [Jefferson] was called to go, as were many of my relatives. I was nine years of age and helped pound many pounds of dough with which to make soda crackers for our soldiers. The old men who were left at home with the families had to make regular trips with loads of provisions to the men. All winter they camped in the snow and suffered much. In the Spring, President [Brigham] Young made a treaty with Johnson's Army, in which they promised that if they would be allowed to enter the city they would not harm people or property. Brigham Young did not have much faith in the promises of the Army due to past experiences, wherein the Saints had been treated very badly by the government; so he called the Saints together and instructed them to move south to a camp until the danger was over.
When we left we didn't know where we were going. Men were left behind and instructed to set fire to everything, homes and all, if the promises of the Army were not kept. President Young said that this time they were not going to enjoy our homes that we had struggled so hard to get. After we started to move it began to rain. I had to take turns with the others driving the stock. We went to Bountiful the first day and stayed with some friends of Father's, by the name of Bergess." Harriet Jane does not say if Elizabeth and Ellen and their daughters went with her father on this trip, but Jefferson was in the Legion and would not be home to protect his family.
[Sept. 28, 1857] "Lydia is very sick." [Oct 12] "Lydia is better, there is a great deal of sickness, flucks [flux?] and diarrhea. Mary's child is very sick and J. Wadsworths child is lying at the point of death." Jefferson was worried about Lydia while he was away with his troups but he got home during the 1st part of December.
"I had a letter instructing me to go to G S L city to receive the ordination of a Bishop." "I was ordained a Bishop to act in East Weber under the hands of Bp. Hunter and Stoker" On the 4th of March 1958, he presided over the wedding of his brother David Osborn to Nancy Thorn, "the first couple I ever married".
Jefferson also mentions the evening they went to a dance and "enjoyed ourselves very well, although it was rather noisy" and that "Rebecca, Elisabeth's child was blessed at our fast meeting" and "the children had a dance and conducted very well but there was some men and boys on the outside of the house that were very troublesome and ill mannerly" He wrote about building a school house and using it for preaching services. The area was still having trouble with the Indians. Two of the Mormon men were killed.
"Dec the first we had as cold weather I think as I ever felt. In Jan [1859], I took a very bad cold and have been unable to cut my own fire wood. On the 7th of Feb., Franklin Standley [Elizabeth and Ellen's oldest brother] died. About the first of March there was a division of the estate by arbitration, there was $713. belonging to Ellen and Elizabeth."
"We have had a long and tedious winter, it is now the 19th of March and snowing and storming very bad, my health is getting better. There is a great many soldier teamsters and some deserters in the country and there is likely to be a great deal of stealing of horses this spring. On the 25th of Dec 1858 Rebecca [Jefferson's sister] was married to Richard Thorn at our house and" [The journal ends here, Jefferson became ill with consumption and died the 9th of June 1861.]
Jefferson's father David Osborn the 2nd wrote in his journal: "Aug. 14th, 1861. About the first of June I heard that Jefferson was sick and wanted to see me. I went down to Weber immediately. He had been quite poorly had taken cold which affected his lungs, which caused him to cough and spit blood considerable, he rested but little at night, but had got better and was able to ride round and see to his stock and other concerns. He had been afflicted with an inward disease of a consumptive character for some years past, but his disposition was such that he would not suffer it to keep him in the house. " "He walked with me over his farm and showed me his young crop which looked very well, also the improvements he was making, also showed me his cattle and horses."
"I heard no more from Weber till 1 o'clock on Sunday when a messenger came with the intelligence that Jefferson died that morning." "He had taken a relapse, sent for and got the medical aid of Dr. McIntire, suffered much but died in his rocking chair quite easy." "I now give the case of Ellen his wife. She had given birth to a fine boy a short time previous to his death and became totally deranged in her mind and continued so nearly all the time until Monday morning June 17, when she also departed this life and was buried by the side of her husband and children. We called the child after it's father, Thos. Jefferson." "The death of the infant son of Thos. J. Osborn took place a short time after the death of it's father."
Obituary, Deseret News, 26 June 1861:
"Departed this life at East Weber, June 9th, of consumption, Thomas Jefferson Osborn.
Br. Osborn (the son of David and Cynthia) was born February 20, 1829, in Green county, Indiana; was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints, when nine years old, in Pike county Illinois, from whence he gathered with the Church to Missouri, in company with his father, thence removed to Nauvoo, Illinois, and emigrated to these valleys in 1852. He was appointed Bishop for East Weber Ward in the spring of 1858, in which capacity he was acting at the time of his death, to the general satisfaction of all."
Jefferson was buried near his little children which he had buried.
Michael Standley writes: "About the first of June 1861, Mother [Philinda Upson Standley] was called to Weber for sickness in the family there. In those days the mail was supposed to be tri-weekly, that is, they went over one week and tried to get back the next. Lydia and I were alone and Mother was gone a long time with no word.
When she came home she brought Ellen and her three children with her. The baby had been born soon after Mother had reached there and the husband, Jefferson Osborn, had died a few hours afterward. All this seemed more than Ellen could stand in her weakened condition. She felt she would not live long and requested Mother to care for her children. She followed her husband in a week or so and the baby went a few months later."The death of Ellen Standley Osborn was summed up in just one sentence:
Deseret News, 3 July 1861 - "Died: At East Weber, June 9th, 1861, Bishop THOMAS J. OSBORNE, aged 30 years. Also ELLEN, the wife of T. J. Osborne, on the 17th June, aged 28 years."
We can only imagine the work and worry that our Elizabeth had over the illness of her husband while helping her pregnant sister Ellen and doing the majority of the work raising her own and Ellen's children.
After Jefferson's death, his brother David Osborn the 3rd and his wife Nancy, moved to Weber and took charge of Jefferson's farm and property. Wanting to follow Ellen's death-bed request, after much consideration Elizabeth consented to give up little Lydie and Sarah into their grandmother's care.And so Elizabeth's first marriage was finished. She had two children, Rebecca Adaline Osborn and Harriet Esther Osborn, my grandmother.
Elizabeth (Standley) Osborn Osborn Benson and her children
Elizabeth at center; top clockwise: Leonard Osborn,1863-1938 [son of David Osborn III]; Harriet Osborn Mikesell,1860-1926 [daughter of Thos. Jefferson Osborn]; Margaret Benson Hatch,1868-1933 [daughter of Moroni Benson; Linda Benson Atkinson,1876-1952 [daughter of Moroni Benson]; Rebecca Osborn Allen,1857-1908 [daughter of Thos. Jefferson Osborn]. Photo provided by Dorothy and Joe Kennedy.
<back to part 1 go to part 3>
No comments:
Post a Comment