Rachel Fielding Burton (1837–1914) Reminiscence

Rachel Fielding Burton, first wife of William W. Burton, daughter of Joseph Fielding. Written during or after fall of 1900.

Reminiscences of Nauvoo, trek across Iowa, Winter Quarters, trek to Utah, life in Salt Lake Valley from 1848 to 1858.

Hyrum Smith's Nauvoo home		I remember once we went to meeting and afterward went home with Uncle Hyrum Smith's family. The children, our cousins, had a little wagon and we had a nice time with it for a while. Then we went upstairs and had a good time with a rocking horse. In some way in our play I fell down stairs and I yet have a scar it left on the back of my head.
Joseph Smith romps with children		Uncle Joseph Smith (the Prophet) used to enjoy a romp with the children and he played with us many times. …
Defend home with farm tools		One time our enemies threatened to raid Nauvoo while the men were away. My Mother and Auntie were alone with us children so they began planning to defend our home. They brought the pitchfork, the hoe and the rake and the across into the house, and filled everything on the stove with water to heat. They also placed the cayenne pepper on the table ready to use and waited for the enemy, but they did not come. …		Auntie: Probably Mary Ann Peake Greenhalgh (1802–1885) who became Joseph Fielding's second wife on January 23, 1846 Rachel's cousin. Joseph F. Smith. recalled hiding in the outhouse when strangers came to town, fearing he too would be "taken to prison" ¶ Trials of Young Joseph F. Smith.
		After that our enemies drove us out of Nauvoo and we had to hunt another home. …
To Winter Quarters		When we started traveling again, we had two heavy covered wagons. On one we had a span of horses and our two cows pulled the other. We used to feel sorry for the poor cows having to pull hard all day and then be milked at night.
First winter ate pig weed, greens, corn bread		We stopped at Winter Quarters next, and having no house, we lived in the wagon and a tent. In time, my father built another log house and planted a vegetable garden. While we were waiting for the vegetables to grow we ate pig weeds and greens. These and corn bread were our only food until our vegetables were ready to eat. …
To Salt Lake Valley		[On the trek to the Salt Lake Valley:] We lost one of our horses, but we had 3 oxen, 2 cows, and 1 horse, so Father put the oxen on one wagon and the horse in front, forming a spike team, and the two cows on the other wagon, the third ox and one of Aunt Mary Smith's oxen made a couple of yoke of cattle. Mother and Auntie drove the former with the children; the lines broke and then I had to lead it. Father drove the other wagon with all our earthly possessions in it.
Barefoot		I was barefooted and I walked most of the way from Winter Quarters to the Salt Lake Valley. Our harness was old to start with and we had not gone far on our way when the lines broke, and I had to lead a horse by the bridle. It was rather difficult sometimes on the rough roads for the horse stepped on my heels so often that it kept them sore.
Big Mountain descent		When we reached Big Mountain, Mother and Auntie happened to be walking behind with father, and I was leading the team quietly on ahead with my little sister, Mary, and little brother, Joseph, in the wagon I remember the descent looked long and rather steep, but I went on down without waiting for my parents.
		When we got started down, however, the hill seemed worse than I thought, for the wagon pushed the oxen and the oxen hooked the horse and it kept stepping on my heels, and I had to run. I called to the children to sit down and we went down Big Mountain rather fast.
		The people at the bottom were very much alarmed and shouted "That child will be killed! That child will be killed!" However, we arrived at the bottom in safety. … My feet were dreadfully cut and bruised and my footsteps could be traced for some distance by the blood.
Recreation on plains		[On the plains, bonfires, singing, dancing.] The bigger the fire the better it seemed, and the spirit with which the hymns were sung was an inspiration.
Camp in circle, buffalo, deer		[Camp in a circle forming a corral for the cattle; frequent sightings of large herds of buffalo; once a large herd of deer.]
Healing of the ox		Once while traveling on the plains, the ox we had of Aunt Smith's became sick, so sick it seemed as though it would die. My father poured oil on it and administered to it. It lay perfectly still for a few minutes, then it shook itself, ate a little grass and it was alright after that. So Father hitched it up and we went on our way rejoicing.		¶ Joseph F. Smith autobiographical manuscript.
Arrive valley, rejoicing		[Arrived September 23, 1848.] I remember feeling so glad that we were in Zion and relieved that we did not have to travel any more. I remember running up on the Temple Square and all over, so much so, that my parents could scarcely keep trace of me.
Live with Mercy R. Fielding Thompson Mill Creek farm, home		For a while we lived with my aunt Mercy R. Thompson who came to the valley the year before us. Then my father obtained a piece of land in south Mill Creek. There was no house on the farm so we lived in our wagons. Auntie had one and mother the other. This was in the fall and father went to the canyon for logs and our old horse dragged all the logs home. Then my father notched them together and we soon had the walls for a one room house. Some one let us have some straw and this was our floor, and then father stretched the tent over the top for a roof and we had a living room, the wagons still being the room warm and comfortable.
Births, mothers assist each other		In January [1849], Auntie had a little daughter come to her [Josephine] and my mother was doctor, nurse, and the housekeeper. In May, mother also had a little daughter [Hannah Alice] come to her and Auntie did everything then for her.		¶ Joseph Fielding diary on cooperation. This was significant because in time the wives would have nothing to do with each other, which caused him great sorrow. ¶ Joseph Fielding diary.
Chicken coop, mud chinking		On the farm there were a great many willows, and father cut and wove them into a chicken coop and put mud in all the cracks for warmth as he had done with the house.
Spring 1849 Wheat, Neff's mill Near starvation		In the spring as early as possible father plowed and planted a garden, and some wheat. As soon as the wheat ripened father cut it and threshed it with a flail and took the wheat to brother Neff's mill and had it ground into flour. When he brought it home, mother made some hot biscuits and cooked some green peas from our garden and I am sure I have never eaten anything since in all my life that tasted so good.
First meal		When this meal was cooked I was about a mile and a half from home watching the cows, so mother sent my dinner to me. I shall never forget that delicious meal. We had been on rations so long while crossing the plains, and during that time our food was divided out to make it last until we reached the valley. Then all winter we had been using as little as we could. …Often I had just a half a pancake to a meal,—so I had been hungry so long I could scarcely get satisfied.
Father forced to sell suit material for food		Before the crops grew, my father was forced to sell a piece of broadcloth to get food for us to eat. This broadcloth he had brought from England to make a suit for himself, and it had never been made up.
Domestic manufactures		[Maintained a tinder box, made lye from wood ashes, saved all grease for soap and candles; rag weed for broom until raise broom corn. Sugar scarce–use syrum from frozen squash and beets. Grate potatoes, wash pulp, strain and let water settle to obtain starch. Braid hats from straw. Made yarn and knit stockings, gloves, shawls, scarves, etc. Yellow dye from blossom of rabbit brush. Indigo for blue die. Green from yellow dye and dip in blue. Red from sour bran matter.]
Moves closer to town, then back		As the time passed on we children began to get large. Father became anxious about our education, so he obtained another piece of land near Salt Lake City where we could all go to school and meeting, he, himself, going back and forth to work on the farm. I was about twelve years old at this time. When I was about 15 my parents decided that going the 6 miles between the farm and our home was too much for father, so we moved back to the farm.
1851 Sarah Ann		While living in Salt Lake City, my sister, Sarah Ann, was born [1851], she being mother's seventh and last child.
Sheep and wool		[Raised sheep; mother used spinning wheel, dyed wool, wove material in the spring before the grasshopper war in 1855.]
George Greenwood		About this time my cousin George Greenwood came from England. He was well fixed financially and wanted to buy a farm, so mother went with him to Kaysville to see friends of my mother's who knew of a man wanting to sell some land.
Marries William W. Burton		After a few days they returned accompanied by a young man who came to get the cattle George was giving to pay for the land … kept calling on us and on the 28th [of] March 1856, he and I were married.		William W. Burton
1856 grasshopper war 1849 gulls		This was in the spring of 1856 and we had another terrible grasshopper war. They were harder to get rid of than were the crickets that besieged us in 1849, for the beautiful gulls came at that time and ate the crickets until they could eat no more, then go away again, only to return in a short time and eat more. They continued doing this untill the crickets were all gone. The gulls made a terrible noise and lit so close to my sister Ellen and me while we were after the cows that we were terribly frightened.
Gulls don't eat grasshoppers		When the grasshoppers came in 1856, the people had to take clubs or anything they could get and go out and fight, for the gulls did not like grasshoppers and would not eat them. Every man, woman and child able to carry a stick was out fighting. We had just passed through a hard winter and it meant starvation to us if the grasshoppers ate our crops.
Kaysville until Utah War		[Move to Kaysville until the Utah War, then move south, lived in a one-room log house with dirt floor, straw bed, small table, and two chairs.]
1857–1858		[Winter of 1857–58 William in Echo Canyon with only a shawl for bedding. Rachel had a young baby. Move with parents to Provo river bottoms until the threat was over. Remain with parents until spring.]
Mary Smith's farm Ogden		Then we moved to Aunt Smith's farm and my husband worked the land for one year. [Then moved to Weber river bottoms. …]
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