Update to List of Southern States Mission Presidents

Based on information in the Early Mormon Missionaries database, I have updated the list of Southern States Mission Presidents.

Since the Southern States Manuscript History is now online at the Church History Library website, I have double-checked all the dates of service. The Church History Library needs to correct its list of Mission Presidents; I will contact them and let them know.

Early Mormon Missionaries: John Morgan

The entry for John Morgan in the Early Mormon Missionaries database is deceptively simple since it does not capture any details of his service, including the fact that he served as mission president for many years. It does, however, show that he was set apart each time he headed from Utah Territory back to the South.

Here is a summary of the resources on John Morgan:

Important John Morgan Posts

Here is a list of the presidents of the Southern States Mission:

Presidents of the Southern States Mission

Here is a summary of John Morgan's time as president of the Southern States Mission, as captured in the Southern Star:

History of the Southern States Mission

• • •

John Morgan was set apart October 11, 1875 by Joseph Young.

Joseph Young (1797–1881), President of the Seventy.

He was set apart January 25, 1878 by Orson Pratt.

Orson Pratt (1843–1881), Apostle.

He was set apart March 29, 1881 and again March 29, 1882 by George Q. Cannon.

George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), First Counselor in the First Presidency.

He was set apart January 4, 1890 by unknown; information not complete in this entry.

• • •

His entry shows his parents as Gerrard Morgan and Ann E Hamilton.

Garrard Morgan (1806–1889).

Eliza Ann Hamilton Morgan (1815–1901).

John Morgan was born August 8, 1842 in Greensburg, Decatur, Indiana, and baptized November 24, 1868 by Robert L. Campbell. Summary of resources on Robert L. Campbell.

Robert Lang Campbell (1825–1874), Territorial Superintendant of Schools.
Picture from FamilySearch Family Tree, couresy of "Katherineandreasen2."

Early Mormon Missionaries: Philip Pugsley

The new Early Mormon Missionaries database includes a short entry about Philip Pugsley's mission to the Sandwich Islands, now Hawaii. (Note that his name is misspelled in the database. I have sent a correction.)

Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, Flickr, used as is.

Here is what Edward Tullidge's biography of Philip Pugsley says about his mission:

In 1865 Pugsley was sent to the Sandwich Islands [Hawaii], by President Young, to investigate the propriety of starting a tannery there, to be worked by the native Mormons, but he found it not practicable or promising and so reported. He traveled over the Islands, visited Kalakaua [Kealakekua] Bay, saw the spot where Captain Cook was massacred and wrote his name on the stump of the cocoanut tree—covered with copper by a sailor—on which visitors write their names in honor of the great voyager who “sailed around the world three times” and then was massacred by the natives of the Sandwich Islands.

Here are the two sources provided by the database; they have not been digitized, but most likely contain the information currently found in the database.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 1, p. 7, line 265; Vol. 2, p. 7, line 265.

Early Mormon Missionaries: William Lester Glade

Here is an excerpt from the Early Mormon Missionaries entry for William Lester Glade:

Early Mormon Missionaries

William Lester Glade

November 1915–April 1918

Central States

Set apart by Jos F Smith

When Lester returned from his missionary service he entered the army. I won't repeat all the information about his missionary and military service, since it's been covered before on the blog, but here are some images. First a program for his missionary farewell, then a card showing him while he was in the military. Note the caption, with its reference to his missionary service ("Reverend"). If I recall correctly, he did not make it overseas to fight in the First World War.

Sgt. W. L. Glade

Camp Lee, Va.

Nov. 28, 1918

Once "Rev."

Now Ready for Over Sea Service!

Early Mormon Missionaries: Archibald Hill

Archibald Newell Hill was an early Scottish convert from Canada. I have not told his life story yet because it is complicated and at least part of the story should be told in a more formal publishing venue, but here is his entry from the Early Mormon Missionaries database.

Archibald Hill, mission picture, courtesy of Sharon Wilbur.

Hill served three missions. The first was to Europe. Daniel B. Richard's Hill Family History notes, 

Archibald served a mission in 1865 (2 years and 4 months) to Birmingham and Southampton and traveled 3,657 miles by foot; 7,631 miles by railroad; 8,786 miles by water; attended 318 public meetings; preached 253 sermons; and baptized 10 persons. He visited his place of birth and met with an uncle.

On his return to the United States, he headed a large company of immigrants. (See more information at Mormon Migration: Manhattan, Liverpool to New York, 1867).

The second mission call was to Canada with his brother Alexander Hill, Jr. Richards notes that he visited his old home in Essex, Ontario.

Archibald Hill and his three children from his first marriage,
Samuel Hill, Hannah Hood Hill Romney, Rebecca Hood Hill Pettit.
Courtesy of Sharon Wilbur.

His third mission had to do with the intense prosecutions in the late 1880s over plural marriage. Richards notes:

In 1887 he left Utah for Joseph City, Arizona ... He got as far as Springville, Utah and returned to Salt Lake. He was then appointed as a missionary to Arizona and he left again for Joseph City and lived with his nephew, Joseph Richards for almost a year. He visited twice his granddaughter Mary Ann Romney Farr in St. Johns and to Luna Valley, New Mexico where his sister Elizabeth Swapp lived. While in Arizona he received word that his wife Margaret had died. At the end of his visit in Arizona and New Mexico, he left on the train for Salt Lake City and went through Denver where he visited with his “lost daughter” Emma Milam Hill Thomas whom he hadn’t seen for 24 years.

Here are two letters he wrote, provided through the Early Mormon Missionaries database and found at the Church History Library.

Archibald Newell Hill Letter, April 13, 1887, First Presidency Missionary Calls and recommendations, 1877–1918, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, CR 1 168, box 3, folder 11, image 14, 1–2.

Transcription of the letters, as written, no correction of spelling, but I do not include the periods he uses to keep space.

Lehi April 13/87 [received by Church] A.N. Hill — April 15 — 1887. 

Mr. F.D. Richdards 

My Dear Brother no doubt but you are aware of my arest & Escape may it be wise or folish. I Have ben Led in this way, Now I +^+would^ be Pleased to Know if you Have any advice or Council for me in the futer. I dow acknolidge the Hand of the in the Past. Escape from the Enemy. Now if a mission to Europ Canada or any wheare Els would be of benifit to the Kingdom or My Self & famly I wish to be Like Clay in the Hands of the Potter 

I am now at Lehi with Bro Wm Yates, just arrived by wagon & will wate for an answer from You. My Famly is all Right as for a Livleyhood I Beleive my adress will be 

A. Currie, Lehi, in Care of William Yates 

As Ever Your Brother in the Gosple & // 

A. N. Hill 

P..S. I Believe I Can get a Recommend from my Bishop of the 19th ward if Necesery in Hase [haste, since] the Train is Coming

Archibald Newell Hill Letter, June 17, 1887, First Presidency Missionary Calls and recommendations, 1877–1918, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, CR 1 168, box 3, folder 11, image 15, 1.

Nephi, Juab. Co     June 17/87 

President F. D. Richards. My Deare Brother 

I Received a Letter Yesterday from Bro. G. Reynolds Stating that I was apointed on a mission, all Right trust I will be of Some use in this great Cause of truth & warfaire, wherever it may be to no place mentioned, I would be glad for a Companion in Labour. 

he wished me to call in the evening the only Safe time I Recon. at the Historan Office. I will notify you which night I can be at Your Servise as I have to be on the Looke out, it will be if all right, the Lord willing Some time next week. May the Lord Bless & Preserve you & all his Servents. as Ever your Brother in Tribulations 

A. N. Hill

Inventory Reports, April 1846: Sidney Tanner

The Mormon pioneer migration was an immense undertaking, requiring careful oversight by the leaders of the Church.

John D. Lee filed this inventory report of Captains of 10 at Pleasant Point, Iowa, April 1846. See  the entries for Amasa Lyman, Sidney Tanner, and Nathan Tanner.

The Tanners had substantial resources compared to some of the other early Mormon pioneers; an earlier page in this collection recorded dryly, "N. W. Whipple has not the first thing but his wife." (Remember that every resource the Tanners had as they started across the plains was due to very hard and skilled farm work.)

Sydney [sic] Tanner...10 in family, 4 beds, 3 cows, 1680 lbs of flour, 126 lbs of meal, 106 lbs of beans, 210 lbs of wheat, 120 lbs of shorts, 3 wagons, 2 horses, 8 oxen, 7 [boxes of doughnuts]*

Church History Library, MS 14290, Box 1, Folder 8, Inventory reports, 1846 April.

* Just kidding. [Indecipherable.]

Roll of Company No. 1: John Tanner

As the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began evacuating Nauvoo for points west, Elias Smith recorded a roll of the original emigration company. Here are John Tanner, Sidney Tanner, John Joshua Tanner, and Nathan Tanner on page 10. Myron was listed on page 8.

I believe the "(10)" next to John Tanner's name indicates a Captain of Ten (see Doctrine and Covenants 136), although I'm not sure how early they began using that designation.

Church History Library, MS 14290, Box 1, Folder 1, Roll of company number 1, 1845, 6.

John Tanner's Funeral

From Hosea Stout's diary:

Sunday 14th Apl 1850. Went to meeting in the fore-noon. Heber [C. Kimball], Geo A. [Smith] & B. Y. [Brigham Young] spoke. In the after noon P[arley] P. Pratt preached G. W. Langley & Father Tanner's funerals

Here are a few more miscellaneous mentions or notes of interest in Stout's diaries.

Saturday August 1st 1846....Before we got breakfast over Father John Tanner came from the camp with a team to assist those who needed it to get up the hill and he turned in and helped me up and learning that I had the public arms he assisted me on to camp   He manifested a great interest in heping [sic] me when he found that I had public property. We had no no [sic] difficulty in going to the camp. 

Thursday Nov 3 1853. To day we made out to start and went up the Cajon Cannon to the narrows some 15 miles from San Bernardino. Bro Albert Tanner and Montgomery E. Button accompanied us to assist us up the Cajon Pass... 

Monday 29 Oct 1855.... In the after noon court met Grand Jury presented two indictments. one against Joe a Spaniard for the murder of Elisha P. Ryan and one against Moroni Green for an assault with intent to kill Nathan Tanner... [The verdict was guilty of assault with intent to inflict bodily injury, sentence six months in prison.]

Early Mormon Missionaries: William John Glade

The new Early Mormon Missionaries database covers the missionary service of a number of Glade descendants, but for today, here is William John Glade. 

We've covered some of the history of William John Glade's mission before in the account called "Burned the Church." (That link leads to an index to the different parts of the account of a memorable mission conference at Two Mile, West Virginia.)

Will was called to the Southern States Mission at age 26. As is also done now, but by letter, not online, he sent in an acceptance of his mission call to the President of the Church. 

Found in the Church History Library collection, "First Presidency missionary calls and recommendations 1877-1918," his letter read as follows, including the endorsement by his bishop, hymn writer and future apostle Orson F. Whitney, and office notation from J.F.S., meaning Joseph F. Smith, at that time Second Counselor in the First Presidency.

Salt Lake City  Jan 28  1895 

President Wilford Woodruff 

                                    City 

Dear Brother 

                         I write you in answer to the call, with regard to the mission to the Southern States.  As I have been thought worthy of this mission, I feel it my duty to respond, and try and fulfill to the best of my ability, any calling confered on me. 

I will make arrangements to start from this City on the date which was named. 

     February 23rd 1895. 

                        Your Brother in the Gospel 

                                        Wm J Glade  

     Prest Woodruff 

              Dear Brother: 

                                        I endorse the answer of Brother Glade. He is worthy of the call made upon him. Knowing his circumstances, I honor his faith and the resolution he has formed   (over)  to let nothing stand between him and his duty. 

              Respectfully 

                           Your Brother 

                                    O. F. Whitney 

                                              Bishop 19th Ward 

January 29, 1895. 

All right
        J. F. S.

William John Glade (1868–1951)

Will was set apart on February 22, 1895. He was already married to Annie Hamilton and had one child, Lester, with another on the way. A family history gives the following account:

William John Glade was given a farewell program in the 18th ward Independent School house. The home Dramatic Club furnished a skit and Maude May Babcock coached a dancing feature for the program. A fifty cent admission was required. They had a capacity house which raised $99.00 for Will’s mission. 

Will boarded the train in 23 Feb, 1895 for the Southern States Mission. The following August, after Will left on his mission, Mary, their second child was born. It was 28 months before William John Glade finished his mission to Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. He was met at the depot at 2:00 am on 5 July, 1897 by his brothers George, David and George Vine in the buggy with an old sorrel mare. He traveled without purse or script and performed a successful mission. His family was well cared for, not wanting for more than the necessities of life. Their faith for the Lord’s work came first and they received the Lord’s pay.

Early Mormon Missionaries: John Tanner (2)

A follow-up to the last post about John Tanner's mission.

David Pettigrew wrote a letter to Times and Seasons about the mission. Here it is.