| Not far from where the James empties into the Atlantic Ocean, near the city
of Norfolk, Virginia, there was born to John and Mary Brown Woodland a son
who also bore the name of his Father, and greatly influenced the lives of
many generations and the story is only in its beginning.
This boy was born on the 27th of March 1776, and not long afterwards his
mother died, leaving him to the care of an Aunt Dorothie Brown who soon after
married the boy's father and from that union other children were born. One
boy, William, played a part in the story that I am about to tell.
This family was reasonably prosperous. They had a plantation and slaves,
and raised cotton and tobacco. However, these two boys John and William,
were not satisfied to stay in the swamps and lowlands. The call of the West
was in their blood and along with such men as the Boones and the Lincolns
they started that long, hard journey that took them through the Cumberland
Gap, a distance of about 400 miles. That trail that led into the new land
of Kentucky was almost impassible.
Nothing is known of this period of their lives. One can imagine, however,
as he now drives over that highway through the hills of Kentucky and Down
the winding valleys through West Virginia, turning around the point of hills,
every hundred yards, for at least two hundred miles, that their journey was,
to say the least, very winding and the wooded land covered with grass must
have been an interesting sight to them.
The first authentic information we get is a marriage license which simply
says, "John Woodland and Ruth McGhee, Married, September 21st, 1813, Bath
Co. Kentucky." This county is about 100 miles west of the West Virginia state
line and not bar from Lexington, Kentucky. How long they stayed here is not
known. All we have is that two children were born to them, two little girls
and between that date and the early summer of 1818 these two children and
Mother, Ruth McGhee, died. All within two weeks time with a disease that
swept the country at that time known as the "Cold Plague". Aunt Nancy has
this to say about it: "Her father said that he came in the house one day
and the oldest child came and the took her on his knees, and she complained
that her feet were cold. He cuddled her to him and felt of her feet which
were like ice. He warmed her feet, but soon found she was burning with fever.
From that moment death had struck and within two weeks his young wife and
two babies were taken from him in death."
The next information of him is when he reached the west boundary line of
Kentucky. From here we have the following story. As they, and by "they" we
assume that William, his brother, and the Hunt family were with him, they
were waiting at a ferry owned by a man named Noah Steepleford, (Stapleford)
to cross the Ohio River into Illinois. (It is well remembered that the trend
of these early settlers was westward and this place on the Wabash is west
and a little north of Bath County where five years before this, he had married
Ruth McGhee.)
While waiting here, he saw a young lady picking polk berries, to dye clothes,
and was attracted by her. Before leaving the place he made her acquaintance.
Not long after this Celia Stapleford, born May 7th, 1801, at Baron County,
Kentucky, became the wife of John Woodland. The marriage must have taken
place some time in June as their first child, Polly, was born in Edwards
County, Illinois, April 27, 1819. Edwards County, Illinois, is about twenty-five
miles north and west of the Kentucky state line and is between the little
and big Wabash rivers.
There they lived for at least eighteen years for we have a record of Henry
Harrison Woodland, born June 17, 1836, at Edwards County, Illinois. We also
have a record of eight other children being born at this place between the
date of Polly's birth, April 267, 1819, and Henry's, June 17, 1836 There
were ten children born to them in Edwards County near Albion which is the
county seat. Here at Edwards County, they seemed to prosper and accumulate
property, for they had land and stock and at the time which is spoken of
a little later in our story, they had money to buy the property of Jefferson
Hunt who went to join the saints in north Missouri and of which we will say
more later.
America, during this period, was new and everywhere were frontiers. Every
community had to clear its own ground, and build its own houses, and schools,
which of necessity were crude but made the kind of men and women that history
likes to tell about. John Woodland and Celia Stapleford were no exceptions
to this rule and as we think back over their accomplishments during these
years our hearts swell with pride.
About this time also over in the western part of New York a young man by
the name of Joseph Smith had created quite a stir as he had received some
very remarkable records and had been visited by a heavenly messenger. A new
book had been published and a new church organized known as the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and called "Mormons".
One day, while at Albion in company with Jefferson Hunt, John Woodland attended
a meeting and heard a young man preaching. This man told them a strange story.
From this point I will tell the story written by my sister, Mary, as father
(William W. Woodland) related it to her.
"After leaving the meeting and bidding good night to Jefferson Hunt, he was
impressed to pray. He knelt by a stump and prayed. The Evil One tried to
overcome him but he cast it off and was satisfied that the gospel was true.
through this testimony, he in company with Jefferson Hunt, was baptized."
"After joining the church, Jefferson Hunt became dissatisfied and wanted
to sell his place and go to the Mormons in Missouri and John Woodland bought
it. That night, after buying the place, an angel appeared to him and showed
him his future home and told him to go search it out. Next morning Jefferson
Hunt came to John Woodland's home and Brother Woodland told him that if he
would wait a few days that he would accompany him to Missouri. He told Brother
Hunt about the dream, that the angel had showed him his home, and that he
would know the place by a tree there and that he was to go to that tree,
place his back against it and take twenty-five steps west and he would find
a spring with white sand boiling up in it and that he would know that this
was his home."
"In a few days they saddled their horses, taking blankets and axes, they
traveled into Missouri. After, looking a few days Brother Hunt found a place
that suited him, so they both stayed there and built a house to hold the
land. Brother Hunt then asked Brother Woodland which way he was going to
find his home, and was told that he was impressed by the spirit to go north.
They went north across a prairie for abut two miles, and they saw a grove
with a tall tree in it, and Brother Woodland exclaimed: "There is the tree
I saw in my dream." They rode to the grove, Brother Hunt held the horse while
Brother Woodland went to the tree; placed his back against it and stepped
twenty five paces west where he found the spring just as he had seen in the
dream. He then called to Brother Hunt to come and have a drink, but Brother
Hunt laughed as he didn't think there was any water anywhere around, but
there was a beautiful spring, where they both had a drink.
They then built a house, to comply with the law, and returned to their families.
Brother Woodland sold his home and moved to the new home which the Lord had
showed him.
After living on and improving his new home for about a year the Prophet Joseph
Smith came to visit with them. After looking over the place, he said; "Oh,
Brother John, what a pretty place you have, what would you take for it for
a stake of Zion?" Brother Woodland said; "If it is the will of the Lord take
it and give me another place as good." Brother Joseph stood a minute, dropped
his chin on his chest; turned pale, and a light shown around him. After standing
in this attitude for about fifteen minutes, he raised his head and said:
Brother John, I won't have your place for the Lord showed it to you and you
had faith enough to seek it out." He then placed his hands on Brother Woodland's
head and sealed the place unto him and his posterity for life and all eternity.
He told him never to sell the place. he was afterwards offered a great amount
of money for it but would not sell it and forbade all of his posterity to
every sell it.
Brother Woodland and family remained on the place until they were driven
away by the mob. They then went to Adam-Ondi-Aman. Brother John Woodland's
wife's mother (Molly Sanders Stapleford) died on October 27, 1838. The mob
was so bad that they could not go after lumber and make the coffin, so they
buried her in a clothes box which was not long enough and her feet stuck
out about six inches, a scene which was a trial that they never forgot. It
was in the dead of winter and they had not shelter except a wagon and some
sage brush stuck up with quilts."
"While at Adam-Ondi_Aman, the mob came and was going to take Brother Woodland's
wagon because they said it was the only one that could haul the big cannon.
Brother Woodland said that he would burst the head, of the first one that
came to take the wagon, with an axe. General Clark, the leader of the military
stepped up and forbade anyone to touch him or his wagon. General Clark then
said, "Father Woodland, I give you a pass," and ordered his clerk to write
it, but Brother Woodland would not accept it unless he would write it with
is own hand for fear the mob would think it was bogus, so General Clark wrote
it himself, and gave him a pass out of the state of Missouri. They left there
for Far West. One day while camped at noon in some trees, he and the children
were in front of the wagon, the mother lay sick in the wagon. Brother Woodland
hears a noise, he looked up and there they saw a train or chariots moving
through the air. they were much the same as the train now days, the smoke
could be seen coming from them. they were loaded with people dressed in white.
They went and settled down over Far West, and brother Woodland exclaimed:
"Far West is saved."
The mob cut them off from going to Far West so they went down on the bottoms,
a short distance from Far West, and camped there until Far West surrendered.
While at the bottoms brother Smith sent word to Brother James Woodland (son
of John Woodland) to leave the state for the mob were after him and wanted
to kill him. When Brother James received the word, he left in company with
his cousin, Brother Underwood. As he started to leave, and Brother John Woodland
called to his wife, Celia, and said, "Mother, come here and take a last look
at your boy, for it is the last time you will ever see him alive." They never
heard from him again, and all that they ever knew was that there were two
new made graves.
"They went from there to Adams County, Illinois, and there they lived four
years. Then they went to Hancock County. From there they were then driven
to Iowa on the Big Mosquette, then to Utah( then called the state of Deseret)
in 1850. They moved to Willard in 1853 In the move from Illinois to Missouri
it will be observed that Grandfather crossed the state of Illinois and followed
up the Mississippi River to a point near to Quincy. Then they went westward
across the state of Missouri until he reached the Grand River, then followed
this river up to where the county seat, Galliton is now located, in Davies
County. there he crossed the river and went about six miles to the north
and somewhere in this valley at a place called Spring Hill and settled. this
was no doubt in the fall of 1836 or the spring of 1837, for in June 1838
the Prophet Joseph Smith organized a stake of Zion at Adam-Ondi-Aman, and
in May of that year was the time he talked to Grandfather and blessed him.
At that time Grandfather had his place in good condition and a house built
on the land so it must have been a year or two between the time of leaving
Illinois and the time of which we have just spoken.
We, Blanche and I, traveled this same route, and as we reached the town of
Galliton, we went into the courthouse and tried to find where our people
had settled but were unsuccessful, as all the records had been destroyed
that told anything about the Latter-Day Saints. We also visited the county
paper and were courteously received by the editor, as were we also by the
attendants in the court house. The editor had written a brief chapter on
the Mormon in his paper in 1937, for at that time they had celebrated the
centennial of Davies County. It was a flimsy effort to justify the expulsion
of the Mormons, but as the editor laughingly remarked, "You ought to be thankful
for us sending the Mormons away as Utah is in no doubt a more desirable place
to live in than Missouri," I told him that we had no hatred in our hearts,
in fact, we had only love for all men and we realized that it was a
misunderstanding which caused the entire trouble. He had been in Utah and
was loud in praise of our homeland.
We drove to a school house about three miles from Adom-Ondi-Aman, where we
left the main highway and wound around several fields and soon came to an
old deserted house. On top of a hill were two trees standing about 100 feet
north of the end of a ridge or hill, and between these trees was the remains
of an old later which we were told was the altar spoken of by the Prophet.
From this elevation we could see to the west, to the north and the east.
the river comes down from the north and makes an abrupt turn to the east
for about four or five miles and then turns south again. It is on this north
slope, that the people settled. There, was the home of Lyman White, where
the Prophet came to organize the stake of Zion, June 21, 1838, and somewhere
under our eyes was the place where great events had taken place as spoken
of in the Doctrine and Covenants. Here Uncle Solomon was born on October
22, 1838, at Galliton only six miles away, on the a6th day of January 1838,
Aunt Nancy married James Whitaker and there in October of that same year,
Malinda Wells was born. Here tragedy was also suffered beginning with an
election held August 6. In that year the persecution of the saints was again
commenced, and with fury that defies description, which great Grandmother
Stapleford as was told in the story just recounted, took place. Here were
Noah and Elizabeth were buried on January 4, 1839. there deaths were caused
by exposure resulting from the mobbing in the dead of winter and exposing
them to the cold when they were already sick with measles. Here also Grandmother
in delicate health, before Uncle Solomon's birth, was driven out of the home
and the house burned. Here, however, was a sacred place, hallowed by the
presence of Adam, our first father. Here a great council was held, and as
recounted by the Prophet Daniel, another one is to be held again when Adam
is to come to bless his people and here Grandfather and his posterity will
some day gather, then the scene will be greatly changed, and the land will
be made glorious and beautiful. So with these thoughts in our minds, we made
our way down from this historic spot and wended our way back toward the town
of Jemerson, as we passed along the lane, we saw an old cemetery where the
Mormons were buried, but no markers to identify any of them. It was with
deep emotions that we looked upon the place where three of our kin were filling
martyrs graves.
The hardships of that winter, 1838-39, will never all be told. The Prophet
Joseph records in his history "that the sight was one that could not be erased
from his mind, for on October 18the mob made an attack on the settlers, burning
their homes and driving them out in the cold rain which continued to fall
for several days and the one thing that increased the sufferings was that
several of the sisters in delicate health were forced to face the storm and
bear their sorrows." It will be recalled that Uncle Solomon was born at the
very time and place.
After the surrender of Far West, April 1839, they continued their journey
over the same road that they had so hopefully traveled just two years before
on their way to Zion. Now with heavy hearts they were leaving it, and the
three graves of their children, for here James, their oldest son, rode away
and was never heard of again. But through it all they had an abiding faith,
for not long after this we find them at Columbus, Adams County, Illinois,
For it was here in January 1840 that Lucinda was born and also James Whitaker
was born in this place of Aunt Nancy on May 7th. At Far West, Grandfather's
brother, William, must have been living , for in the church history of February
1839 there is an account of those who signed a pledge to give of their property
and strength to help the poor to leave the city and state before the date
of extermination, and his name is on that list. The family no doubt, living
in Adams county for about four years and then moved to Hancock County as
Martha Jane was born at Nauvoo, March 1844. The family still lived here when
the Prophet was murdered, for the records show that temple work was done
here at Nauvoo after the death of the prophet. My father, William Woodland
after spoke of the days that followed the martyrdom, as he was present when
the claim of Sidney Rigdon was made and the mantle of Joseph Smith fell on
Brigham Young. Aunty Nancy's son, William, was born December 6, 1848, near
Council Bluff, Iowa, also a daughter, Elizabeth, May 25, 1849 at the same
place. Uncle Daniel Brown Woodland was born July 30, 1847, at Pottawattamie
County, Iowa. Uncle Thomas S. Woodland and Margaret Whitaker were married
at Kanesville, Pottawattamie County, February 8, 1849, and their son, Thomas
J. was born at this same place, May 19, 1850. From these dates we can get
a fair idea of the whereabouts of the family during these troubled days from
1830 to 1850. It will be remembered that John Wakley, Aunt Polly and William
Woodland came out to Utah in 1848 and built two houses at that time Grandfather
was about seventy-five years old. They reached Salt Lake in the autumn of
1850. They came in company no.6, Joseph Young was captain of one hundred
and Gordon Snow was captain of the fifty under Joseph Young. John Woodland's
family was in Gordon Snow's company. This company arrived October 1, 1850.
(Letter H.O. J. H. in files of historian office.) They remained in Salt Lake
City until 1853 "when they moved to Willard, Utah. According to History of
box Elder County, When they moved to Willard, their family consisted of three
married children, polly Wakley, Nancy W. Whittaker and Thomas S Woodland,
also John, William, Celia, Henry, Solomon, ucinda, Martha and Daniel." When
they first arrived, they lived in their daughter Nancy's home, but later,
they resided with William and his wife,Laura, for several years.
John and Celia were endowed and sealed at the Endowment House in Salt Lake
City 13 June 1856. they appered in the 1860 census of Willard. It was the
last census that John would appear in.
~*Joseph Smith's
Blessing*~
As John grew into his nineties, he often spoke of the blessing given to him
my Joseph Smith when they discussed his giving up the farm in 1838. Daniel
P. Woodland and others ahve provided the following sketch concerning that
circumstance.
"The prophet had told John that he could live upon the arth until the Savior
came if he so desired.
Brother Woodland said that the Savior would come soon, as he was getting
near the hundred mark. Laura would reply, "now come on grandpa, when you
get old you will want to go." But he would always say, "NO, I will live 'till
the Savior comes." One afternoon in his 95th year, he layed down for a rest.
When he failed to wake at the usual time, Laura went into the bedroom to
awaken him and found that he was not breathing.
Laura called in some relatives and he was pronounced dead. The two sons,
William and Henry, were in Idaho. A nephew was sent with the news. When the
boy arrived in Idaho. William was not convinced their father was really dead,
as he knew of the promise Joseph Smith had made him and he knew his father's
faith. He said, "we will find him eating his brakfast as usual when we arrive."
Sure enough, that is where they found him. Their father was quite annoyed
that they had been sent for. He was always a practical man and did not like
them to have to learve their work. However, he had a wonderful message to
tell them.
~*The
Vision*~
He said his spirit had left his body and gone to a beautiful place where
he met messenger with authority. he asked the keeper if he was worthy to
enter; a record was opened and he was told to go in; a crown was placed upon
his head. he was given full freedom to move about without restraint. He beheld
his beavenly home and saw many who had lived and died for Christ's sake.
He also saw that his work was being neglected, and he expressed the desire
to begin it at once, but the messenger infromed him that he must return and
be released.
"Brother Woodland had a testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ was the
Lord's own church established by Joseph Smith on the earth. He admonished
all his children to remain true to it. He then continued, "I am ready to
go as soon as the Lord wants me, the sooner, the better." During the time
following, and before his death, he would sometimes start to tell of the
things he had seen while in the heavenly place but would stop and say, "No,
I must not tell you, or you will be unhappy with your lot here, and may shorten
your days here and lose the prize," he lived about four months after this
experience. One night his sprit sliped away to that eternal home, where he
is building a place for his numerous posterity. It was November 1869 when
he was released to go home.
Celia Satpleford, his wife, lived more than 18 years after his death. She
was a woman of good character and had a pleasing personality. The Staplefords
came to America from England in the Early part of American history and had
a find background of leadership in the state of Maryland where they settled.
After the Death of her husband she lived with her son, Daniel Brown Woodland,
Who arried Sophronia Davis.
They took over the homestead and she lived with them the rest of her days.
As she grew older, she lived over the days in Missouri and at times fancied
that the mob was at her door. When the fear was lifted, her beautiful face
would brighten and she would thank God for her deliverance."
On 7 January 1885, she peacefully passed awy to a reward that surely waits
for the faithful. John and Celia lay side by side in the old cemetery in
Willard Utah. Their lives were one continuous round of honest endeavor; their
testimonies ever fresh and positive; and their dying admonition a prayer
for their posterity.
~* We love you and Miss you Grandma and Grandpa...I can't wait to see you..*~
~*Please sign my guestbook before leaving*~
  
~*All of the graphics on this page have
been copywritten. Please do not use without permission*~
|
