History of the Southern States Mission, Part 2

April of 1877, a company of Saints were organized in Arkansas, under the leadership of Elders J.P. Wimmer and N.P. Beebe, to emigrate with wagon and teams across the plains to the settlements of the Saints in Arizona. The company numbered one hundred and forty souls, which was officered with Elder Wimmer as President, and two counsellors [sic], who were assisted by captains of companies of ten men for guards.

On the 3d of April President Boyle and Elder J.S. Page Jr., visited the State of Texas, in Basque county, to open up a new field of labor. While they were absent a conference was had in Chattooga county, North Georgia, in the Haywood church, Elders John Morgan, Thos. E. Murphy, James T. Lisonbee, Charles Brewerton and W.C. Whightman were in attendance, with a large delegation from the several States near by.

April 6th, 1877, President Boyle reported eleven Elders in the field, five organized branches of the Church, with a membership of 216 and a scattering membership of 60, being a total of 276; also the releases of Elders William Calder, Samuel Douglass, J.W. Thomas to return home.

During the summer of 1877, James T. Lisonbee and John Morgan traveled and preached in North Georgia and Alabama, baptizing twenty souls, principally in localities not heretofore visited.

October 6 and 7 a conference was held at the Haywood Valley Church, in Chatooga county, Georgia, at which strenuous efforts were made to organize a company of emigrants for the west, resulting the following month in the organization of a company of twenty souls, under the leadership of President Boyle, who left for Utah, and arrived in safety.

About the same time Elder James Argyle and John C. Sharp organized a small company of Saints from Tennessee.

On November 21 a company of eighty Saints was organized at Scottsboro, Ala., from Georgia and Alabama, who took the train at this station for the west, proceeding only as far as Pueblo, Colo., where they went into winter quarters, Elders Lisonbee, Morgan and Murphy accompanying them to their destination and leaving them. They proceeded home with an honorable release as their reward. This draft made on the working force of the mission was felt somewhat and false teachers began to try to lead the people astray.

During the month of December a new corps of Elders were sent to the field and the year closed with much good work recorded for the past year.

(To be continued.)

Latter Day Saints Southern Star, Vol. 1, No. 2, Chattanooga, Tenn. Saturday, December 10, 1898.

The picture of the Chatooga River from www.flickr.com/photos/turbojoe/1304933487/