George Morey was the third son of William and Anda Martin Morey. George started life as the majority of early LDS church members did, being born of New England parents on November 30, 1803.1 William Morey took his young family to near Collinsville, Ohio in 1814. William, was 42 years old when he died in 1815 in Somerville, Butler Co., OH, just before George was twelve years old. William's death left his wife, Anda, and seven children.2
George met Sylva or Silvia, a daughter of Supply Butterfield, in Athens, OH, and they were married on 29th October 1825 in Butler County Ohio.3 Their first child, Mary Ann, was born nine months later, July 11, 1826 in Butler County, Ohio. George and Sylva would eventually have five other daughters and one son to attain maturity.4
Morey settled in Illinois for a time then signed a deed to his property to his father-in-law, Supply, on 25 October 1833.5 By this time Morey had cast his lot with the Saints and their fortunes and movements became his.
We can't document if George Morey was in Jackson County, Missouri during the problems there, but he was in Clay County, Missouri in November of 1834. He made the trip to Kirtland with others in the fall of 1835. On December 29, 1835 George received a blessing from Joseph Smith, Sr., Patriarch of the church.6
In January, 1836, the elders in Kirtland drew up Rules for the House of the Lord, listing expected behavior by all who entered.7 The several quorums took turns in performing the office of doorkeeper, and on leap-year day, February 29, George had the duty.8 Two men came to view the House of the Lord, and were "politely invited" by Morey to remove their hats inside. One complied, but the other refused saying he would not remove his hat nor bow to Jo Smith. Morey spoke immediately and told the man his first business was to leave, "for when a man insults Joseph Smith, I am also insulted." The man did leave in much anger, and Morey won the notice and gratitude of Joseph Smith, Jr., who said in his dairy, "For this independence and resolution of Elder Morey, I respect him, and for the love he manifested towards me, may Israel's God bless him... "
On Sunday, March 27th, Morey along with about a thousand other Saints crowded into the Kirtland temple for the dedicatory services. George Morey was there.
By February, 1837, Morey and his family had settled on land northeast of the town of Far West.9
In August, Morey was chosen to be a member of the High Council in the far west, taking the place of Peter Whitmer who had died.10 He was involved in the activities of the Council as it directed church affairs, heard cases and sat in judgement involving members, and acted during the growing dispute over the decisions and policies of the men chosen as Presidents in Missouri.11
Since the exodus of the Saints from Jackson County in 1833, feelings of resentment and distrust had been growing against W. W. Phelps, John and David Whitmer for what was seen to be misuse of church funds and property. The matter was brought before the Far West High Council. Morey was one of a committee sent to visit with Phelps and John Whitmer, to see what their feelings were in regard to the charges made by the High Council. The committee reported back the first week in February at a General Assembly of the church, where Morey spoke and "set forth in a very energetic manner... that the Presidents were iniquitous." Others spoke, some disagreeing, but the vote was taken that W.W. Phelps, John and David Whitmer no longer be received as Presidents. They would be excommunicated about a month later, on March 10th. Another month passed by, and on April 12 charges were brought against Oliver Cowdrey, and he was also ousted.
At the celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the church, on April 6th Joseph Smith, Jr. presided. George Morey was appointed as sexton and doorkeeper. Perhaps Joseph remembered the event at Kirtland Temple when George served in similar capacity, much to Joseph's satisfaction.
The same problems by the citizenry that plagued the Saints in Jackson County came again in Caldwell County. During the summer the Danites, a group of zealous men, began to function for the protection, defense and occasionally retaliation on the part of the Saints. It is quite possible that George Morey was a Danite.
When the state militia company, under the command of Captain Samuel Bogard captured two Mormon spies and threatened to execute them, Captain David Patten, also an Mormon apostle, led an armed group, called the Host of the Lord, probably composed of Danites, toward Ray County to release them. The two groups met on the banks of Crooked River, several miles to the south of Far West on the cold morning of October 25th. The result of the incredibly short battle was three Mormons killed, including David Patten, and one Missourian.12 The "spies" were released. In the bedlam and confusion of the battle a number of horses, tents, and wagons were taken by the Mormons as the "spoil of our enemyes [sic]"13
Morey may have benefited personally in this. Later, in April of 1839, Samuel Bogart wrote a vitriolic letter to the postmaster at Quincy asking for information on several of his horses stolen at the Battle of Crooked River. He cites George Morey and Charles Rich, along with several others. Morey was described particularly, as having stolen a gray, four-year-old mare with a large, fine head.14 Bogard warned the postmaster about Mormons being the "most odies [sic odious?] set of faniacks that ever disgrased [sic] God almighty," and asked to be notified if the men tried to sell the horses in Quincy.15
Five days after the Crooked River incident, the little settlement of Haun's Mill was attacked by Missouri troops leaving seventeen killed and wounding fifteen. On October 31st, at Far West, negotiations were held between the Missouri Militia and representatives of the Mormons. To avoid further bloodshed it was agreed that the head leaders of the church would surrender the next day. During the night Hyrum Smith and Brigham Young met with a number of men who had fought at Crooked River and warned them that the Missourians demanded they be surrendered the next day and tried for murder.16 "Gather all the Crooked River boys you can, and take them out of the state," Hyrum told them, "for if found, they will be shot down like dogs."17 During that night several groups of men took leave of their families and fled north into Iowa territory to avoid arrest and prosecution for treason and murder. Somewhere between 50 and 70 men left.
George Morey was among them. In research conducted by the author, it is not only conceivable, but probable, that Morey was with the group of Charles Rich (who was also accused of horse stealing, along with George Morey).
Morey family tradition has passed down the legend of how George left without food; his horse had to nibble bark from the trees; how the snow covered tracks so they couldn't be followed. And, as George forded the Grand River he was impressed with the south central Iowa location as a place to settle, but he went on to Illinois with the others.
The deep snow that fell on Sunday, November 4th covered the tracks of the escaping Mormons.18 Those still remaining at Far West had continued problems. The Morey house was robbed the end of November, along with that of Sidney Rigdon and the widow of the slain Patten.19 At the High Council meeting of December 13, 1838, the first since the surrender, it was noted by presider Brigham Young that "several were absent, who... have had to flee for their lives." The vacancies were filled. George Morey, who had always been #7, was replaced by John Badger.20
The exodus of the Saints was accomplished during the winter of 1839. Morey family tradition has little to say about it, except that George gave money to a man to drive the team for his wife and children, and the man kept the money and left. It is related that the oldest son, David, drove the team. George and Sylvia Morey signed the Scroll Petition prepared in Nauvoo in 1843 for redress of sufferings in Missouri.21
Morey did not stay away from Missouri that winter. He was one of several visitors to enter the thick, wood and metal-studded door of the Liberty Jail on January 13, 1839 to visit Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and the other prisoners.22
By the time the U.S. Census was taken in 1840 the Moreys were back in Vermillion County, Illinois. The family went to be with the Saints in Nauvoo in 1841. Morey was a member of the Nauvoo Legion in the horse corps. He also served as a high constable. By occupation he was a hatter.
George and Silvia did not go West to Utah after the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in 1844. They, along with others, were loyal to Sidney Rigdon as the leader of the Church. They settled in Decatur County, Iowa in 1852.
George probably remembered that area from his escape from Missouri in 1838 after the Battle of Crooked River. His property is near where Nine Eagles State Park is now. Both George and Silvia and many members of their family joined the RLDS Church beginning in 1859 at the Little River Branch, which later became the Pleasanton, IA, branch. George died in 1875, and Silvia in 1880. They are both buried in the Hamilton Cemetery near Pleasanton.
Endnotes:
1. According to family tradition, he was born November 30, Ontario County, N. Y. William Morey, father, and Silas Morey, grandfather, are found on the 1800 U.S. Census for Ontario County in Pittstown, N.Y.
2. Biographical sketch of Henry Lee Morey (nephew of George Morey) in A History and Biographical Cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio, Western Biographical Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1879.
3. Marriage Registration, Butler County, Ohio.
4. David Butterfield, b 11 Sep. 1830 Vermillion Co., IN
Martha Ann, b 1832 Vermillion Co., IN
Supply, d before 1850
Helen Merah, b 1839 Jackson County, IL
Eunice Miriam, b 1844 Dekalb, IL
William, b 1847 Brown Co., IL
5. Grantor Index, Deed Books Vermillion County, Illinois, page 269.
6. Patriarchal Blessings, Vol. 2, page 69.
7. History of the Church, LDS, p 369, & p 401; and Dean C. Jessee, The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 1984), p 164; RLDS Church History.
8. Journal History, 29 February 1836; History of the Church, LDS, p 401.
9. Original Land Entries, Caldwell County, Missouri, 1835-1857". Morey's name is on a 60 acres in Section 56N, Range 29W, NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 Section 1, Mirabile Township.
10. Far West Record, August 1, 1837, page 116. Morey was #7. RLDS History of the Church, Volume 2, page 115.
11. Paul M. Edwards, Our Legacy of Faith, (Independence, Missouri, Herald Publishing House, 1991), 71 and 75.
12. Stephen LeSueur, 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, (Columbia, Missouri, University of Missouri Press, 1987), p 264.
13. "The Last Months of Mormonism in Missouri: The Albert Perry Rockwood Journal," Edited by Dean C. Jessee and David J. Whittaker, Brigham Young University Studies, (Winter 1988): 24.
14. Letter from Samuel Bogart to Postmaster at Quincy, IL, April 22, 1839, MS 5704, from Historical Department, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT. Courtesy of W. Randall Dixon, Archivist, to the author.
15. It is interesting that one of the family traditions of Morey is that he raised fine, thoroughbred horses. Perhaps this mare helped get him started.
16. In the "Mormon War Papers," Certificate #88: State of Missouri vs 41 named Mormons. Listed as #32 is George Moray [sic] indited for treason. A change of venue from Daviess County to Boone County was obtained. "No defendants appearing, case dismissed."
17. LeSueur, op cit., p 174. This escape is documented by many sources: Dimick Huntington, Journal History of the Church; Hosea Stout's published dairy, On the Mormon Frontier; Ebenezer Robinson, The Return, Vol. 2, No. 2, (February 1890).
18. Found in the "Mormon War Papers," (Records of the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate the Late Difficulties with the Mormons, 1838-1841), Item #63, Lucas mentions this deep snow. Also Dimick Huntington
19. History of the Church of LDS, Vol 3, p 215.
20. "Minutes of the Standing High Council, Far West, Missouri," Microfilm, Far West Record. p 221.
21. Mormon Redress Petitions, Documents of the 1833-1838 Missouri Conflict, Edited by Clark V. Johnson, Vol. 16, Religious Studies Center Monograph Series, (Provo, Utah, Religious Studies Center,) p 570.
22. RLDS Church History, Vol. 2, p 315.
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