Edward Bunker
Edward Bunker’s history recounts his first encounter through the
Sierras and the Truckee Meadows. Several of his descendants live nearby the
soil he trod upon nearly 150 years ago.
Edward moved to Nauvoo in 1845, already having been baptized, he was
told to work on the temple and/or the Nauvoo House, which he obediently did.
As he camped where he worked, disgruntled mobs broke out and began burning
outlying farms and drove the homeless Saints into Nauvoo. Brother Bunker joined
the militia to serve as a guard while assisting some of the persecuted saints’
move.
Quoting Edward from his own journal writes:
“The presiding
priesthood compromised with the mob and agreed to leave Nauvoo. Then I crossed
the river to Montrose . . . while at Montrose, I became acquainted with Emily
Abbott and we were married in Nauvoo by John Taylor, February 9, 1846, just
before Brother Taylor crossed the river to join the Saints at Sugar Creek.”
The couple had very few of the necessities needed to travel with the
saints westward: Edward needed to obtain work. After three weeks, they scraped
up enough provisions to live on. The newlyweds went to Garden Grove where some
of the expelled saints had gathered. There they stayed until Edward went to
Missouri with the intention of earning money to buy a team and wagon.
“At this time a
report reached us that the United States government had called for a company of
Saints to go to Mexico. I did not believe it, but the spirit of the Lord
directed me to go home. So the following Saturday with the side of a bacon
slung over my shoulder, I started for home, thirty miles distant. As I neared
my destination, I met some brethren hunting stock and they confirmed the report
I had heard concerning the call for a battalion. They also told me that Brigham
Young had written a letter to the Grove calling on all the single men and those
that could be spared to come to the Bluffs, 140 miles distant west, to assist
the families and care for the teams of those who had joined the battalion, they
in turn could have the use of their teams to bring their families to the
Bluffs.”
“Next day being
Sunday, I went to meeting and heard the letter read. Volunteers were called for
and I was the first to offer my service. . .”
“The next
morning [Monday] we filed out of camp and went to Trading Point on the Missouri
River, where the Battalion was camped for a few days. We took up our line of
march for Fort Leavenworth where we received our arms and camp equipment. We
had the privilege of drawing our clothes or the money in lieu thereof. Most of
the Battalion men received the money and sent the greater portion of it back to
our families. We moved out a short distance from Fort Leavenworth and went into
camp waiting for Col. Allen, who was sick at the fort. On learning that Col.
Allen was dead, Lieutenant Smith was given command of the Battalion and he put
on a forced march to Santa Fe.”
“When we got to
Santa Fe we drew all of our money and sent a portion of it back to our
families. Col. Cooke was left at Santa Fe by order of General Kearney to take
command of the Battalion and lead it to California. At Santa Fe I was detailed
as assistant teamster to Hyrum from guard duty. One detachment of the Battalion
consisting of the women and sick men were sent to Benton’s Fort to winter and
another detachment sent will refer the reader to [Daniel] Tyler’s History. I
will add, however, that on the 27th of January we reached San Luis
Mission where we remained a short time. Then we moved up to Los Angeles at
which place we remained until we were discharged on the 16th day of
July.”
“Having drawn
our pay and procured an outfit, we prepared to return to our homes by way of
Sutter’s Fort and across the North Pass of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Old
Emigrant Trail. While crossing the mountains we met Captain Brown and Sam
Brannon from Salt Lake Valley. Brown, to draw the pay for his company, and
Brannon to meet the company of Saints who had gone to California by water.”
“The returning
men of the Battalion divided into three squads on their return trip, and I was
in company with Brothers Tyler, Hancock and others. We met Brown near where the
company of emigrants, enroute to California, had perished the winter before,
and saw the skeletons and bones of those unfortunate people lying on the ground
unburied. Brown brought word from Brigham Young that those of the Battalion who
had not provisions to last them into Salt Lake Valley had better remain in
California during the winter. Some of the brethren turned back and few others
continued eastward. I was in the latter number and we arrived in Salt Lake
Valley on the 16th of October, 1847. After resting awhile, we
proceeded on our journey towards the Missouri.”
~Anita Hicks~
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