John Pierce Hawley was the son of Pierce Hawley. John was born 4 Mar 1826 in Tazewell County, Illinois. The Hawley family affiliated with the Mormon Church in the 1830s. Following the siege of Far West, the family moved onto land they owned on Log Creek, just south of Joseph Rich's property. The family followed Lyman Wight to Texas in the 1840s. John married Sylvia Johnson on 22 Oct 1849 in Fredericksburg, Texas. He later joined the RLDS Church and died 17 Apr 1909 in Lamoni, Iowa and was buried 20 Apr 1909 in Oak Lawn Cemetary, Ravenwood, Missouri.
John Hawley
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. . . . times took a change when Father joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints This was in the winter of 33 and 34 [page 2] Mother at this time felt as tho Father had amost commited the unpardon[a]ble Sin in leaving the Methodis [sic] Church and joining the Mormon Church as they was boath good Methodis mem but Mother Soone got over hur bad feelings and united with the Same Church and was one with hur Husband in faith and doctin [sic] Father was Baptised by [Br] Emmet and, Mother was Babtised by Moris Phelps in about a year after Father was, the gathering to Missoria was the order of the day and Father Soald his farm and Mooved Starting to Mo but hearing that the Saints was not yet Settled in Mo being driven out of Jackson Co in the year 1833 and this was in 35 So Father baught a farm in Sangamn County Illinois here we remained till 36 then Soald out and mooved to Ray Co Mo here we Rented a farm and this year my oaldest Sister Mary and my Br George was boath Babtised by Moris Phelps, all things mooved this year peasable and the famley did well but the year 37 and and [sic] 38 we did not do So well Finantialy on acount of the ware that took place betwene the Missourians and Latter day Saints but the year 37 my Self and Aaron and Wm was Babtised by Wm O. Clark in Sugar Creek and here I beame a member of the Kingdom of God and for the first time Covenented with the Church and God to keep the Commandments of Heaven and live to the best of my abilaty and understanding of the doctron of Christ, and then I bowed before God in Secret with more faith than before to ask for blessings at his hand and let me Say write here I found a grate help and was comforted many times [page 3] but the year 38 braught grate trouble upon us as a famley caused by the ware betweene us as a Church and the Missourians, Father had to flee for his Life from Ray Co to Caldwell Co in the Same State leaving his famley in Ray Co and here let me Say he came near loosing his Life by being chased by the Mob the Same day he left hom[e] when he left he toald the famley to do the best they they [sic] could and act upon their best judgement for Said I have got to go or I am likely to be killed So he Started on horsback his hors being a good one but he had not gon by but about 3 miles before he looked back and Saw 2 men comming behind him and Suposing them to be enimies he kept a lookout for them, and as Father knew that Capton Bogard a Methodis Preacher was campt at the mane crosing of Crooked River he knowing of fourd 7 mile above left the mane Road for the upper crossing and just as he left the main Road the 2 men that war pursuing him put ther down at full Spread and before Father was aware the Mob came up within about 20 yards and toald him to holt or they would Kill him and every jump of their horses they said stop or I will kill you, but Fater thinking death would be his portion if he Stoped so he put Spurs to his horse and Soon left them and landed Safe in Farwest and joined the Malitia of the Saints to defend his Contery, the Mob that folowed Father came to our house the next day and related the reasons why they did not kill him they Said the reasons was, their arms trembled So they could not Shoot, and write here the Lord faught his battle and by the power of God he was [page 4] resqued from his enimies he was with out arms but the Lord helped him out and let me bare testimony that he is a Sure and true helper in time of kneed and we always knod help from him, the mob Still kept tormenting us and threatning the familey and one day they came and drove off our Horses and that left Mother and the familey without any team and two of the mob came back the next day and attempted to drive of our Sheap we Boys was absent that day and Mary my oalder Sister being very athletic and of a Mascaline nature and resolute in Spirit She went out and maid war on the two Missourians and over came them and Saved [the (later insertion)] Sheep that day but the two Deavils went of Swaring they would bring a horse strong enough the next day and Sure nough they did and all we had left was our Cattle and hogs, and their was a man by the name of Sherman he advised Mother to have hur Boys drive our Cattle down to Br. Cutlers and by So doing we mite Save our Cattle here let me Say Sherman and Cutler had boath maid friends without the mob by agreeing to Stand nutrial, poor Latterday Saints they ware to for this act, but mother thinking this driving our Cattle would Save the mob from driving them off So my oaldes Br George and my self and Aaron a younger Br Started down with them to Cutlers about 60 miles, but Shearman mothers aviser toald us boys to tell all we met that we ware not Mormons, we had to go thru Richman in Clay Co and when we got within about 7 miles of Richmon we met a Comp [page 5] going to Farwest to fite the Mormons and they Swore our Cattle was G[r]andriver Cattle and we was Mormon Boys but we denide being Mormon[s] for this was our instruction to tell all we met that we ware not Mormons, the Capt of the Co Said with anoath he would make us tell the truth and So he walked up to Georg and drew his Dirk and and [sic] put the edge to his throat and Sware he would cut his throat from ear to ear if he did not tell him we was a Mormon but Georg was obedient to councle and toald a Lye So not Succeeding in this he came to me and I well remember of my head going back with a jerk and the man ripping out anoath Scraping his Dirk across my neck saying he would cut my throat open if I did not tell him I was a Mormon but I rememberd the counsal of Sherman the anty mormon and I denide as well as George, So not acomplishing his end he went to Aaron and he being quite young toald the truth because the man Sart him So he cried and toald him that we war mormon Boys this let the oald Cat out of the Bag and one of their men was dispched to go back to Richman 7 mile and have the people Stop our Cattle but they had kept us prisoners to long to have us go thrue in daylight and our Cattle by this time was Scattered thrue the timber So by the time we got them gathered up it was dark and we pased thrue Richman about 10 oClock and no one disturbed us and we went on quietyly till about 12 oClock and then Camped for the night the next day we met 500 of the malitian going up to fite the mormons, but we denide being mormons no more but toald all that we met that we ware mormons [page 6] and we had no trouble when we toald the truth and let me now Say that was the first time in my Life that I denied being [a mormon] and up to date the last time, but Sufise it to Say we got thrue all Safe to Br Cutlers with our Stock but before we got back homee with them the expensis eat pretty much all the Cattle up and we had but fewe left while we war gone from home Mother and Mary and the lttle Children was hasilld pretty near to to death by the mob the mob Stood gard night after night watching for Father to come home and they ware compelled to Submit to what the mob required of them the intention of the mob was to kill Father on the first Sight thinking he would come home in the night, but Mother prair was that the Lord would not let him come and Sure nough he did not come and it was well he did not for the mob would of killed him had he of Come So Mother prares and Fathers good judgement Save his life, the mob Shot down our hogs and took of all our propperty Such as harness and wagons and Carage and left us with bu[t] our Clothing and a few head of Cattle but we lived thrue it all, when peas was declared between the Saints and Missourians we got back some of our horses but they war nothing but Scin and boans but we war glad to get them as poore as they war, but Father darnot come hom eaven when pease was declard for even then the mob would whip a Mormon every thime that they could ketch one out and they had about 5 to one, So Mother concluded to moove to Caldwell County and we had no trouble about moving these days for the mob mooved every off all we had but the famley So all we had to [page 7] do was to pick up our duds and walk off, well we mooved all the Same and settled on what was called Log Creed in Caldwell Co and while here Father baught a tract of land in what was caled the big Company farm but all went to the dogs by the mob, and while here I was takon very sick and the ordinance of laying was atended to by Wm O. Clark and I was heald amediantly and Mother Says I was the first one of the famley that was adminesterd for being Sick, I wish no[w] to relate anincident which took plase whil here our Corn was in Ray Co and Father dare not go down to harvest his Corn so he hired a man not a member of our Church to go with us Boys down and pick our Corn and one day while picking Corn 5 of the mob came in the field armed with hickreys and demanded of our hired man to Strip his Coat and Shirt but the man toald the mob he was not a Mormon and George and I also toald them he was not a Mormon but they Swore he was and for us to Shutup or the whip us and with all our pleading it maid them the more fierce, they tied his hands together and then they selted his back and when they would Strike the twice in one place the Blood would fly and they whipt him unmercifully and they would not let up till they Saw he ws about to faint for loss of blood and then left the field and George and I got him on a load of Corn and we had to drive about 6 mils before we we [sic] dare Stop to have his woonds dressed and he came near loosing his life but he lived throu all this mobbing but Swore vengence on the mob but whether he took vengence or not I do not know [page 8] but suffice it to say we got but little of our Corn this was our Second imprisonment by the Missouey mob that is George and my Self but we lived thrue all this, but the treaty of pease had to be complied with, and that was to leave the state or be extermonated this being the Govenors orders, and with others of our faith Father with his famley left for Quincey Illinois and landed on the bank of the Missippi oposit Quincy the ice was runing So thick no one could cross over and we wase out of provisions and the River was lined with Saints and all hongry but the Lord Sent a lazy Cat fish ashore by the ice and Fathers help and I remember oald Father Gifford and his large famley of 14 I beleave got the head for his share and it maid a good Soope for all the famley, and in this way the fish was all rationed out, them times we all loved one another and would willingly devide all all we had, one reason was we all left Missoura willingly because we was obliged to and this bound us together in love for oneanother and we will add the Gospel. . . .
[John Hawley, Autobiography, Miscellaneous Letters and Papers, P13, f317, Community of Christ Archives.]
Priscilla Hawley Young, Statement
Priscilla Hawley was the daughter of Pierce Hawley. Priscilla was born 9 November 1831, in Du Page County, Illinois. The Hawley family affiliated with the Mormon Church in the 1830s and followed Lyman Wight to Texas. Priscilla married John Young on 4 Jul 1846 in Austin, Texas. Priscilla later affiliated with the RLDS Church and died 26 Jan 1927 in Holden, Missouri.
My father, Pierce Hawley, joined the Latter Day Saints church in 1833 while living on a farm near Ft. Dearborn, Illinois, the present site of Chicago. My mother joined in 1835. Previous to their conversion they were ardent Methodists. Father being a licensed minister of that denomination. They considered the new religion an improvement over the older forms of worship, accepted it whole-heartedly, and died in the belief that it was of Divine origin.
In 1836 they moved to Ray County, Missouri, remaining there until the spring of 1839 when they, and thousands of their brethern, [sic] left the state by mandate of Governor Boggs. My father left a fine farm with his cribs full of grain from the harvest of the previous year.
It was February, the weather was severe- There was room in the wagons for invalids and small children but the grown people who were able, walked. My own mother walked and carried a five-weeks-old infant in her arms.
Although my father owned three of the wagons she willingly gave her place to the more needy ones. I, a child of eight years, walked by her side during the entire journey to Montrose, Lee County Iowa a distance of some three hundred miles.
We lived in this county until 1843. Across the Mississippi River from Montrose is Nauvoo where we attended church. Crossing the river on flat-boats or in canoes.
It was here that we became personally acquainted with the Prophet and members of his family- "Father" and "Mother Smith," parents of the prophet Joseph, Emma Hale Smith, his wife, and his brothers and sisters- I have seen [page 2] Father Smith sitting in the pulpit while his son, Joseph the martyr, Was preaching. Though young in years I was even then impressed by the nobility of character expressed in the personal bearing of this father, who even then was aware that the enemy so-Light the life of his son. The prophet also was aware of his danger but evading his pursuers he often appeared in the pulpit unexpectedly perhaps and delivered telling messages to his congregation.
It was here the Ladies Relief Society was organized in 1842. Emma Hale Smith was its first president. My mother was a charter member of the Society and I often accompanied her to the meetings as care-taker for my baby brother. President Joseph Smith was present at the organization of this society, contributing five dollars as the beginning of a fund for the relief of "the poor and destitute."
During our residence at Nauvoo our late President Smith was known as "Little Joseph." After the reorganization of the church it was my privilege to hear him preach many times. Now that I have met Fredrick M. and Elbert A. Smith and a young son of the latter I have had acquaintance with five generations of the Smith family.
In closing I feel to admonish both the young and old to study the history of the struggles of the early church to establish the truths of this religion. Such study will give us courage to battle with the problems of today.
Pricilla Hawley Young
[Priscilla Hawley Young, Statement, [1923], carbon typed original and typescript, P13, f1515, Community of Christ Library-Archives]
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