THOMAS MCBRIDE OF THE HAUN'S MILL MASSACRE Maurice N. McBride

THOMAS MCBRIDE OF THE HAUN'S MILL MASSACRE Maurice N. McBride

Submitted May 21, 1959

to Dr. Eugene Campbell

In partial fulfillment of requirement for

History 400

INTRODUCTION

On October 30, 1838, an armed band of men rode into the small Mormon settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri, known as Haun's Mill. Heavily outnumbering the settlers, they began fixing upon the village, killing seventeen and wounding fifteen others. A number of diaries and biographical sketches relating to the incident have been written, providing a few first-hand and several secondary accounts.

Thomas White McBride was one of those killed. Several accounts of what has come to be known in Mormon history as the Haun's Mill Massacre" state that McBride was "an old soldier of the American Revolution." The stories about him make very interesting reading. But are they entirely true? According to McBride family genealogy, Thomas McBride was born in 1776--hardly old enough to have fount in the War of Independence.

What is true? Did Thomas McBride serve in the Revolution? If not, what about the stories saying he did--how did they get started?

The purpose of this paper has been to determine, insofar as possible, the truth concerning these varying accounts. I have attempted to show that Thomas McBride was not a soldier in the American Revolution, to examine the stores relating to him, and to offer possible explanations as to the origins of this misconception.

THOMAS MCBRIDE

Thomas White McBride was born March 12, 1776, in Loudon County, Virginia. At about the age of eighteen he married Catherine John, and to this couple was born a total of fifteen children. In the spring of 1810 the family moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, and ten years later moved to Wayne County, Ohio, settling on the Red Haw, a branch of the Mohegan River.

In April of 1831 the family was visited by two missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the "Mormon" Church. The religion interested the McBrides, as the parents and some of the children were soon baptized into the new faith. By 1836 the family had moved to Ray County, Missouri, to join the main body of the Church, which at that time was gathering in northern Missouri. There was considerable anti-Mormon sentiment in the area, however, which resulted in harassment and persecution of the new settlers. Accordingly, Thomas McBride decided to move his family to nearby Caldwell County, settling about three-fourth of a mile from Haun's Mill on Shoal Creek.

HAUN'S MILL

Jacob Haun had moved to Missouri from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and by 1836 had constructed a mill on Shoal Creek. By the fall of 1838 there were as many as thirty Mormon families located in the area of the mill. As stories of anti-Mormon hostilities grew, Haun, evidently feeling some degree of responsibility for the community, traveled to Far West (in caldwell County) to the residence of Joseph Smith to question him as to the removal of the families to that town. Joseph Smith, the prophet-leader of the Latter-day Saints, had instructed his people to settle in the more heavily-populated centers of the Church. There is evidence that Smith admonished Haun to remove himself and the others to a safer place. Haun, however, was evidently worried about the loss of property that would be involved and chose not to heed this advice. He returned with the report that Joseph Smith had consented to their remaining where they were, but that they should provide some means to defend themselves. John D. Lee, who was later to be involved in the Mountain Meadow Massacre incident, declared:

The massacre at Haughn's [sic] Mill was the result of the brethren's refusal to obey the wishes of the Prophet. All the brethren so considered it. It made a deep and lasting impression on my mind, for I had heard the Prophet give the counsel to the brethren to come into the town. They had refused, and the result was a lesson to all that there was no safety except in obeying the Prophet.

The men of the settlement made preparations to defend themselves. Thomas McBride was one of those assigned to guard the mill. His son, James, recorded that "my father was then in his sixty-third year. During the summer he had been very sick--but having recovered, appeared to feel very well; in fact, I think he looked better than I had veer before saw [sic] him." David Evans, said to have been one of the "Danites", was placed in charge of the guard.

At that time there were a number of small local militias organized to help keep the peace. These were under the direction of local leaders who often were not especially sympathetic with the Mormons. As hostilities between the Latter-day saints and the Missourians grew, agreements had to be reached to maintain peaceful relations between the Mormons and the local anti-Mormon militia. Under the direction of David Evans, a treaty was arranged with the commanding officer of one of the local militia to the effect that if the residents of Haun's Mill would disarm themselves they would hat have to fear any attach from the soldiers. The Mormons, hoover, had reason to suspect the intentions of at lease one other local militia, and had not found it advisable to comply fully with their part of the bargain.

THE MASSACRE

With this excuse, Colonel William O. Jennings, sheriff of nearby Livingston County, led the attack on Haun's Mill. On Tuesday afternoon, October 30, 1838, Jennings and his company of some two hundred men rode into the settlement. As they approached, David Evans hastened out to meet them, waiving his hat and crying for peace. Instead, Evans was cut down, and the militia began firing upon the settlers. They made short work of every man and boy in sight. While women and children fled for safety into the woods, a number of the men tried to take shelter within the blacksmith's shop. Here they made excellent marks for the attackers, s the men were forced to huddle closely together and there were large cracks between the logs.

The next morning, the body of Thomas McBride lay among the dead. His son James, assisted in disposing of the bodies. Fearing a possible return of the mob, the survivors did not take the time to prepare individual graves. Instead, the placed the bodies on wide wooden planks and slid them into a nearby well.

There are several accounts of the massacre available today. Most of these were written by actual survivors of the battle, and contain specific references to the murder of Thomas McBride. A survey of these indicates the problem previously introduced concerning his alleged participation in the American Revolution.

THE SLAYING OF THOMAS MCBRIDE

Some of the leaders of the Church appealed in vain to the Missouri State legislature for a redress of grievances. In laying their case before that body, they offered a signed statement relating some of the persecutions they has been forced to bear. Describing the Haun's Mill Massacre, they wrote:

This tragedy was conducted in the most brutal and severe manner. An old man after the massacre was partially over, threw himself into their hands and begged for quarter, when he was instantly shot down; that not killing him, they took an old corn cuter and literally mangled him to pieces...

This "Old man" was Thomas McBride, as will be shown below.

The Mormons in Missouri were forced to leave the state and settle in an area such as Quincy, Illinois. It was here that some of the persecuted began recording the incidents in Caldwell County. Mrs. Amanda Smith had lost her husband and ten-year-old son at Haun's Mill. In a signed statement made April 18 1839, she listed the names of some of those participating in the massacre, including "One by the name of Rogers, who took an old scythe and cut an old white-headed man all to pieces." There can be little doubt that this was Thomas McBride. It should be noted here that at that time she did not actually name McBride, nor give any indication as to his participation in the Revolution. Considering the fact that she did relate other details concerning some of the events of that day, it would seem that had she been aware of any such military activity of McBride's she would have mentioned it.

One of the best accounts of the Haun's Mill Massacre was that made by Joseph Young, brother of Brigham Young. This affidavit was sworn to by Young on June 4, 1839, before G. M. Woods, clerk of the circuit court of Adams County, Illinois, at Quincy. Young related that:

After daylight appeared some four or five men, with myself who had escaped with our lives from the horrible massacre, repaired as soon as possible to the mills to learn the condition of our friends, whose fate we had too truly anticipated. When we arrived at the house of Mr. Haun we found Mr. Merrick's body lying in rear of the house. Mr. McBride's in front was literally mangled from head to foot. We were informed by Miss Rebecca Judd, who was an eye-witness that he was shot with his own gun after he had given it up, and then cut to pieces with a corn cutter by a Mr. Rogers of Daviess County, who keeps a ferry on Grand River, and who has since repeatedly boasted of this act of savage brutality...

Nowhere in this account did Young mention McBride's having been a soldier in the American Revolution, though he did offer other details of the scene he witnessed.

In the August, 1840, edition of the Times and Seasons, an early Mormon periodical, is found an account by David Lewis, one of those who escaped injury. His description of McBride's death is told in detail:

Among those who attempted to escape, was a man by the name of Thomas McBride, a soldier and Patriot of the revolution and a Justice of the Peace. While making the best use of his tottering limbs and worn out frame for his escape, he was met in his retreat by a young man from Daviess county by the name of Jacob Rogers, who immediately demanded the old man's gun, which was delivered up, and was then shot down by said Rogers. This not killing the old man, he lifted his hands in the attitude of supplication [sic] and begged for mercy, at the same time appealing to his silvery locks as adding still more force, and credit to his cries and tales of suffering, while in the defence of his country and the constitution thereof. But the young man deaf to everything but death and murder, regarded not the old man, but seizing an old corn cutter or piece of a scythe [sic], commenced first to hew off the old man's fingers while holding them up for mercy, and next cutting his hands from his arms, and then severing his arms form [sic] his body, and last of all, laying open the skull and beheading the body of the poor sufferer who had fought and spilt his blood for the privileges enjoyed by his murdered.

It should be noted that Lewis' description of McBride's "tottering limbs and worn out form" does not entirely coincide with the words by James McBride, quoted previously, to the effect that "I think he looked better than I had ever before saw him." Nowhere does Lewis indicate that he personally witnessed the event. The fact that Lewis's account is not especially accurate here as to McBride's physical appearance would cause one to question the validity of some of the other details in his account of McBride's slaying.

As far as the author has been able to determine, this was the first time any mention was made in recorded Mormon Church history of McBride's having been a soldier of the Revolution. In order for Lewis to have known just exactly what die take place between McBride and Rogers, it must have been related to him. The only recorded eye-witnesses to McBride's death were Rebecca Judd, referred to above in Joseph Young's statement, and Nathan Kinsron Knight, one of those wounded in the battle. Neither of these mentioned anything about McBride's having served in the Revolution.

The History of the Church given the following account of Knight's experience:

Nathan K.Knight saw a Missourian cut down Father McBride with a corn-cutter, and also saw them stripping the dying and heard the boys crying for mercy. Brother Knight made his escape across the mill-dam, after receiving wounds through his lungs and fingers...Some time later whilst walking the streets of Ar West Brother Knight was met by three Missourians who threatened to butcher him, and one of them by the name of Rogers drew a butcher knife, and said that he had not got his corn-cutter with him, that he cut down McBride with "But by I have got something that will do as well!" but by great chance Brother Knight made his escape from the ruffian.

Nathan K. Knight's own story of the massacre is on file in the "Journal History of the Church. His account makes no reference to McBride's claiming that he had been a soldier.

Ellis Emmit and Shepherd F. Hutchings were also present at Haun's Mill that day, and their accounts of the battle are recorded in the "Journal History." In relating the story of Thomas McBride, neither of these made any mention of the possibility of his having served in the Revolution.

Nevertheless, this story about McBride evidently became quite a popular one in the Church, and was often referred to by those recalling the events in Missouri. It was a particularly moving story, appealing to one's sense of justice, mercy, and patriotism. The History of the Church includes this account:

This barbarous deed is vividly described by President John Taylor in his controversy with Mr. Schuyler Colfax, Vice-President of the United States, 1870: "My mind wanders back upwards of thirty years ago, when, in the state of Missouri, Mr. McBride, an old, grey-haired, venerable veteran of the Revolution, with feeble frame and tottering steps, cried to a Missouri patriot: 'Spare my life, I am a Revolutionary soldier, I fought for liberty. Would you murder me? What is my offense, I believe in God and revelation?' This frenzied disciple of misplaced faith said: 'Take that, you Mormon,' and with the butt of his gun he dashed his brains out, and he lay quivering there, his white locks clotted with his own brains and gore, on that soil he had heretofore shed his blood to redeem--a sacrifice at the shrine of liberty! Shades of Franklin, Jefferson, and Washington, were you there? Did you gaze on this deed of blood? Did you set your companion in arms thus massacred?"

In 1876 Mrs. Grace Foutz Boulter was to record the Haun's Mill incident, quoting Margaret Mann Foutz, who was present that day:

On the way to mill, in the first house I came to there were three dead men. One a Brother McBride, was a terrible sight to behold, having been cut and chopped and mangled with a corn cutter. I was told that he was a survivor of the Revolutionary War.

Note that she "was told" that McBride had served in the Revolution.

Some years later, Mrs. Amanda Smith, whose account has already been quoted above, was to provide another account of the death of McBride. This was published in 1886 in Emeline B. Well's Heroines of Mormondom:

Further on was Father McBride, an aged, white-haired revolutionary soldier, his murderer had literally cut him to pieces with an old corn-cutter... And the veteran who had fought for the freedom of his country in the glorious days of the past was murdered with the martyrs.

Inasmuch as Mrs. Smith did not refer to McBride by name or to his alleged military service in her original account, it would appear that she, too, had been told of this at a later date.

And so the story grew. Mormon Church history books available today include accounts of the Haun's Mill Massacre, and reference is generally made to Thomas McBride, "an old soldier of the Revolution." When, in 1965, Leland Homer Gentry wrote his doctoral dissertation entitled "A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri from 1836 to 1839," he named "Thomas McBride, a gray-haired seventy-year old man," even going so far as to state that he had been "a revolutionary soldier, having seen service under Generals Gates and Washington." Gentry provides no source for this last statement.

WAS THOMAS MCBRIDE A REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERAN?

The autobiography of Thomas McBride's son, James McBride, gives a brief genealogy, listing Thomas' birth date as March, 1776. At another point in the journal he stated that in 1838 his father "was then in his sixty-third year." It is obvious that Thomas could hardly have been old enough to have fought in the American Revolution. Nor is there any record of a Thomas McBride in the Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications published by the National Genealogical Society.

Andrew Jenson was the author and compiler of The historical record of the Latter-day Saint Church, and in it he described McBride as "an old grey-haired veteran of the American Revolution" But in his Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, Jenson lists this same Thomas McBride as having been born March 12, 1776. Evidently Jensen never noticed this contradiction.

HOW DID THE STORY ORIGINATE?

If, then, Thomas McBride did not serve in the Revolution, what could have given rise to the stories saying he did? James McBride, the son of Thomas, noted in his autobiography that Thomas was the son of James McBride of Virginia. Burgess' Virginia soldiers of 1776 lists a Private James McBride of Bedford County, Virginia, as having served under General Andrew Lewis in the Battle of Point Pleasant. This same James McBride is believed by descendants of Thomas to have been his father, but the author was unable to find sufficient evidence to establish this conclusively. If it is true, then it would not be hard for one to imagine how, in all the tumult and confusion following the Haun's Mill tragedy, such a story about Thomas could have developed.

It is possible that the very fact that Thomas was born in 1776 could have given rise to an erroneous connection between him and the American Revolution. He was probably a little proud of the fact that he was born in the year America had proclaimed her independence. There were various conflicting accounts circulating about the events of Haun's Mill. The New York Times and Commercial Intelligencer, for instance, reported that there were thirty killed at Haun's Mill, including "Thomas M'Bride and his father." With these faulty reports having been told and retold it can be imagined how McBride's connection with the events of 1776 might easily have become confused.

There is, of course, the very real possibility that as Rogers overtook McBride, the old man tried to save his life by appealing to his assailant for mercy, claiming that he had served in the Revolution. Having been born in 1776, he probably felt a special connection with the "Spirit of '76." It would not be hard to believe that he would attempt such means to avoid losing his life; he could hardly be blamed for trying. But the evidence seems to indicate that the story is false.

In the "Journal History" the contradictions between Jensen's account of McBride's death at Haun's Mill as related in the Historical record and his biographical sketch of McBride in his latter-day saint Biographical encyclopedia is noted. It suggest the possibility that instead of McBride's having been in the Revolution, he may have fought in the War of 1812. This would at first seem plausible, until one examines the autobiography of Thomas's son, James. He goes into considerable detail listing where the family lived, their moves from place to place, and where the fifteen children were born. If the father had left the family and gone to war, James would no doubt have mentioned it. And with such a large family, it is doubtful that Thomas would have been expected to go. It appear unlikely, then, that Thomas McBride was a veteran of any war.

SUMMERY AND CONCLUSION

As has been indicated, Rebecca Judd and Nathan K. Knight appear to have been the only recorded witnesses of the actual killing of McBride. Only Joseph Young recorded having actually spoken with Miss Judd, and he made no mention of McBride's having been a Revolutionary War veteran. Nathan K. Knight did not connect McBride with the Revolution, nor did the accounts of Ellis Emmit or Shepherd P. Hutchings, who were also present that day.

The Church leaders who presented their appeal before the Missouri state legislature less than two months after the incident would probably have been anxious to include such persuasive evidence, had it been true.

Amanda Smith, whose statement is quoted above, described the event about five months after it occurred, but gave no indication that she thought McBride had been a veteran. It was about forty-five years later that another account by Mrs. Smith s published in which she referred to McBride's having been a Revolutionary soldier.

David Lewis seems to have been the only one present at the massacre who thought that Thomas McBride had served in the Revolution. Either Lewis heard that story in some form and so recorded it, or perhaps he created the story itself.

In consideration of the foregoing facts, it can safely be concluded that Thomas McBride was never a soldier in the American Revolution, nor the War of 1812. The stories saying that he was probably grew out of the fact that he was born in 1776. There is also the possibility that his father did serve in the Revolution, in which case the stories of Thomas became confused with those of his father.

The story was a good one, however, and it continued to be repeated until coming to be accepted by many as a matter of historical fact. Latter-day Saint historians, especially, continued to record the story until it has now become fairly well established in Mormon folk history. It is hoped that this paper will be instrumental in eliminating this misconception.

EPILOGUE

The effects of the Haun's Mill Massacre were to be felt for years to come. In referring to the incident, one non-Mormon writer later offered this narrative:

On the afternoon of ...October 30, 1830, occurred what is known as the 'Haun's Mill Massacre' and rivals for fiendish cruelty the massacre of whites by Indians in the early history of the country. It must be remembered that John D. Lee was at Far West during this period and he later, at 'Mountain Meadows Massacre' in Utah, retaliated by wiping out an entire emigrant train in a most diabolical fashion, slaying many more than were killed in the Haun's Mill affair.

John D. Lee's own story told in Mormonism Unvailed is not generally considered to be entirely reliable. It was written at a time when Lee felt he had cause to feel considerable disappointment in and estrangement from the Church and its leaders. It was produced with the help of a writer who probably wrote it in as a sensational manner as possible. The account Lee offers of the Haun's Mill tragedy seems quite plausible, however:

The same evening we learned of the massacre at Haughn's [sic] Mill. The description of this massacre was such as to freeze the blood of each Saint, and force them to swear revenge should come some day . . . . There was an old man in the settlement by the name of McBride, who had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War; he was killed by being hacked to pieces with a corn cutter while begging for his life . . . .

I received my information from David Lewis [whose account has already been discussed], Tarleton Lewis, William Laney, and Isaac Laney; they were Kentuckians, and were also in the fight but escaped death.

Juanita Brooks in The mountain meadows massacre, discussed the situation in Salt Lake City in 1857 when the party of non-Mormons later to meet their death in southern Utah passed through that area: "As tensions grew, there were those who boasted of having participated in the Missouri outrage and the Haun's Mill Massacre. One man even claimed to be carrying the gun which shot 'old Joe Smith.'

Certainly, it would not be hard to imagine the thoughts and feelings of those who had had relatives slain, or perhaps themselves were survivors, at Haun's Mill, when they realized that those very assassins were then in their part of the country, and in their hands.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Boulter, Green Foutz, "History of Bishop Jacob Foutz, Sr." Typewritten copy on file in Brigham Young University Library.

Brooks, Juanita, The Mountain Meadows Massacre. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1962.

Burgess, Louis Alexander, Virginia Soldiers of 1776. Richmond; Richmond Press, 1927.

Gentry, Leland Homer, "A History of the Latter-day Saints in Missouri from 1836 to 1839". Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Brigham Young University, 1965.

History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties, Missouri. St. Louis: National Historical Company, 1886.

Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications, Washington D.D.: National Genealogical Society, 1966.

Jensen, Andrew, The Historical Record. Salt Lake City: published by the author, 1888.

Jensen, Andrew, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, Salt Lake City: Andrew Jensen History Company, 1901-1935.

Johnson, Garris Polk. History of Clinton and Caldwell Counties, Missouri. Topeka: Historical Publishing Company, 1925.

"Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Unpublished manuscript located in the Church Historian's Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lee, John D. Mormonism Unvailed: The Life and Confessions of John D. Lee. St. Louis, pp., 1877.

Lewis, David. Narrative recorded in Times and seasons. August, 1840.

McBride, James. "Autobiography of James McBride," 1874. Typewritten copy on file in Brigham Young University Library.

New York Times and Commercial Intelligencer. New York. November 22, 1830.

Partridge, Edward, et.al. "Memorial of a Committee to the State Legislature in Behalf of the Citizens of Caldwell County," December 10, 1838. Quoted in History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph Smith, ed. by B. H. Roberts, Salt Lake City; Deseret Book Company, 1967.

Smith, Amanda. "Narrative of Amanda Smith Respecting the Massacre at Haun's Mill." April 18, 1839. Quoted in D.H.C., III.

Smith, Joseph, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ed by B. H. Roberts, Salt Lake City; Deseret Book Company, 1967.

Wells, Emeline B. Heroines of Mormonism. Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1884.

Williams, Walter, ed. A History of Northwest Missouri. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1915.