The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-10-06


| A citizen of Canandaigua, N. Y, wrote
to Brigham Young, the Mormon leader,
to inquire as to his antecedents. and re-.
ceived the following answer:
GREAT SALT LAKE CRY,
July %. 1858.
I received your letter dated Canandai.
qua, May S, 1858. will give you a
short sketch of my history. I was born
in Nottingham, Windham County. Vt.
June l, 1901. My father and family re-
moved to Smyrna. Chenango County N.
Y, when was about eighteen months
old. We lived in the place until 1918.
Shortly after the commencement Of the
late war with Great Britain, my father
and his family removed to the town oil
Geno, Cayuga County. N. Y, in whi:L
county lived until 1929 I then re-
moved to Mendon, Monroe County, and
in 1880 removed from thence to No. 8,
Canandaigua, into small house owned
by Jonathan Ma *, situated on the west
side of the road, opposite to where Mr..
Mack then lived. helped to finish his
new house, so that he moved into it be.
fore left the place.
I left Canandaigua in the first part Of
1882, ard returned to Mendon. April
IA, same year, was baptized into the
church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. I did not live in any other house
during my residence in Canaudaigua, than
the one before mentioned. l never saw
Sena Gcff to my knowledge. / never
held meetings in partnership with any
person, nor ever preached or pretended
to, while lived in the town of Canandai.
qua, nor ever spoke in meeting. except
once in prayer.mceting, in the house |
lived in, whom probably I occupied from
two to five minutes. There il possibil-
ity Of my having spoken in prayer.meet.
ing at other times, but / have no recol-
lection of it. II I had, I think I would
have remembered it, for I found myself
materially frightened when I found my.
self in the meeting I have mentioned.
After l had joined the church, became
somewhat accustomed to public speaking.
Once in passing through No. 9, stopped
and preached in the school.house north Of
Mr.. Mack's.
have thus far marked out my path
with some particularly. Since then, the
events Of my life are before the world. I
will, however, state, that after my return
to Mendon 1 removed to Kirtlaud, Ohio,
from thence to Farwe.t, Mo, from thence
TO Nauvoo, Ill.,, and from thence to the
mountains. There are five brothers of us,
in the following order: John, Joseph
Phinehas H., myself and Lorenzo D. The
two former never lived in No. Q. Phin-
has Il. and Lorenzo D. iii live there,but
removed long before came. The five of
US, with mytwo living sisters ( have three
dcad) are here; and although some of
them are past three score and ten years
Of age, yet by living in a judicious man
ner, and through the blessing of the Lord,
We have good health, and are surrounded
by an abundance Of the comforts cf life.
Your opponent in the controversy (Bcebe)
have no recollection of whatever. He
rel:s on his fancy for his arguments. aud
his lima gination for his facts
Through the faith und prayers of the
saints, and the visible dealing Of the Al.
mighty, we are blessed with peace. aud
again delivered from the grasp of our en-.
emiss who have sought all the day long
to trample in tho dust and extinguish tha,
sacred light which God, through his rev
elations to Joseph, the prophet. has im'
planted in our breasts. Ny heart yearn,
toward my friends Of bygons years, and
blessed indeed, will the day when they
receive the light Of the new and everlass
ing covenant, when | can join hands with
them ard feel that my God is their God
and that whero worship there also viii
they offer up devotion to the throne o.
grace.
TIE war is ended. the troops arc partly
Withdrawn, and we have returned to oul
comfortable homes, our trees arc loadeC
with fruit. we have the best country il
the world for vegetables; our crops arr
most abundant. Wheat is our siapl,
grain. At many times we have harvester
three crops from ono sowing. by what W
sall voluntary wheat springing up the sec
ond or third season. Although | hav
been in this valley only eleven years.
have had peaches for seven years,and thi
year will hayo an abundance OF apple