Levi Jackman

    Levi Jackman was born in Orange County, Vermont on 28 July 1797. His father was killed in an accident just before his birth and his mother died in 1819. He married a young widow, Angeline Myers Brady, and in 1830 they moved to Portage, Ohio, where they accepted the message brought to them by Mormon missionaries. They were baptized in May 1831. His wife died shortly after the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in June 1844.

Excerpts from Levi Jackman's Journal

    Monday, May 2 - Reached Buffalo that evening, distance 28 miles.
    Tuesday, May 3 - I found my brother Moses, and telling him of the great things that were taking place found that he, like others, could not believe my testimony. But to express my feelings on leaving my friends, from first to last, would be impossible. But I had consolation that I had tried to do them good. While walking on the sidewalk I found Brother King Follett who had been to that country on business. He had been collecting some money that was due him. Our meeting was joyous. He was my neighbor in Missouri and we were both going home. He let me have some money, and we engaged a passage on the steamer Columbia, to the nearest port to Kirtland.
    We started at six p.m. on Tuesday, May 4th, and arrived at Kirtland next day evening. We now made arrangements for returning home.

Continued next column

    [Excerpted from Jackman, Levi, (1797-1876), autobiography (1797-1833), A Short Sketch of the Life of Levi Jackman, typescript, BYU-S; http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/LJackman.html].

    Tuesday 17 - On this day Brother Follett and I started in company with Brother McHenery and family. We had a wagon and horses belonging to Brothers David and John Whitmer to go home with, taking the most of the load for them. We had good weather for a few days. It then came on rainy, and the roads became very bad but we continued our journey until the 5th of June, when we arrived at Clear Creek, Edgar County, Illinois, where Brother Baldwin and I built up the branch before spoken of- and to my joy I found that the eleven months that I had been absent from them had not destroyed that cord of love that bound us together at the time of our parting. A part of this branch had already moved to Missouri to join the saints in that place, and another company was intending to start in about ten days, and they strangely desired that I should stop and go with them as their leader. After due reflection, I consented to stop with them. My desire to see my family as soon as possible was great. Yet in view of doing them good, I concluded to put off the pleasure of my family a few days longer.
    Wednesday, June 8 - Brother Follett and Brother McHenery started on, and on Friday Brothers Fisher and Ralph arrived from Kirtland. They concluded to stop a few days. Brother Baldwin also arrived. Sabbath, June 12 - Held a meeting. Brothers Baldwin and Fisher occupied the time. I appointed a meeting for Tuesday, June 14th. After making some remarks in relation to our duty, we attended to some business. Two of the members chose to withdraw and their names were crossed out. I then baptized a young man by the name of Henery Taylor.
    Tuesday, June 16 - We started, as many as had intended to go, and took our leave of those that stayed behind. We accomplished our journey in safety, and reached home with joy to myself and family, after having been about 15 months away from home.
    Before I got home the spirit of persecution had revived and raged so that our people that were going to that place had to stop in the counties below until arrangements could be made for another location. It was finally settled that we should go north to a new county and live by ourselves, which we were willing to do. This was afterwards called Caldwell County. The most of us left Clay County and settled our new home that season. We laid out a town on a beautiful elevated place and called it Far West. We soon organized our city and county. I was elected one of the Justices of the Peace, and had considerable business to do. We were prosperous and happy for a season.
    But after a while the mob spirit began to rage again, and its progress and operations are recorded in history. In the summer of (?) I bought a farm about eight miles east of the city and went on to it. I had a violent attack of chills and fevers, but finally recovered. By the time that I was able to get around a little, my wife was taken sick nigh unto death. And by the time she got about, her mother, who had lived with us for many years, was taken sick with the Lilian Chollick (Asian Colic?) and died in a few days. A few months previous this, I had to give back my farm on account of the mob operations, and spent the winter in one part of Naham Curtis' house. It was a kind family. In March, Brother Curtis and myself and our families started to find a new home in Illinois. Some part of the time the weather was very stormy and the roads extremely bad.
    We all had to leave the county under the extermination orders of Governor Boggs. We finally arrived at Quincy, Illinois in the fore- part of April.

Guyman Horse Mill & Settlement