7 “Flaim of Fier”

Between February and May 1846, Perrigrine spent his time and energy helping others prepare to leave Nauvoo. His descriptions of those months are brief but revealing. He wrote mostly about the Nauvoo Temple. Before the temple was built, saving ordinances for the living and the dead were performed in places set aside and dedicated to that work. This arrangement was only temporary, and the Saints felt an urgent need to perform as many ordinances as possible in the temple since their residency in Nauvoo was so tenuous. Even in the midst of preparations for a hasty retreat from their homes, they rushed to complete and dedicate the temple.

The Prophet Joseph Smith presided at the setting of the cornerstone of the temple on April 6, 1841. Joseph received the design for the building in vision and was committed to keeping the design from wavering from the image he had received, even if it was unconventional for its day. In fact, the Prophet had such a conversation with William Weeks, the temple architect, on February 5, 1844, as recorded in History of the Church:

Elder William Weeks (whom I had employed as architect of the Temple), came in for instruction. I instructed him in relation to the circular windows designed to light the offices in the dead work of the arch between stories. He said that round windows in the broad side of a building were a violation of all the known rules of architecture, and contended that they should be semicircular that the building was too low for round windows. I told him I would have the circles, if he had to make the Temple ten feet higher than it was originally calculated; that one light at the centre of each circular window would be sufficient to light the whole room; that when the whole building was thus illuminated the effect would be remarkably grand. “I wish you to carry out my designs. I have seen in vision the splendid appearance of that building illuminated and will have it built according to the pattern shown me.”¹

A rendering of the Nauvoo Temple by architect William Weeks. Courtesy Church Archives.

Despite the Saints being a virtually destitute people, they managed to build the temple for about one million dollars. The dimensions of the temple’s foundation were 128 feet long by 88 feet wide, and the tower and spire were 165 feet high, topped by a golden statue of an angel flying horizontally. There were approximately sixty rooms. A private dedication for the building was held on April 30, 1846, and public dedications began the day following. Orson Hyde, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, and Joseph Young, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, presided.

As most of the Saints left Nauvoo under threat of mob violence in early February 1846, a special crew stayed behind and completed the temple. Three months later the building was considered complete and was publicly dedicated on May 1, 1846. Dedication services were repeated over a three-day period and witnessed by thousands. Visitors paid a one-dollar admission fee, the funds of which were used to help workmen move their families and join the main body of the Church on the plains to the West.²

Although the Church’s first temple, the Kirtland Temple, still stands, the Nauvoo Temple was damaged by arson in 1848, and the remaining walls were later destroyed by a tornado.³ About four months after Perrigrine left Nauvoo and before the temple was destroyed, Thomas L. Kane, a “gentile” friend of the Mormons, visited Nauvoo and later described the state of the temple before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

They also conducted me inside the massive sculptured walls of the curious Temple [and] permitted me also to ascend into the steeple, to see where it had been lightning-struck on the Sabbath before; and to look out, East and South on wasted farms like those I had seen near the city, extending till they were lost in the distance. Here, in the face of the pure day, close to the scar of the Divine wrath left by the thunderbolt, were fragments of food, cruises of liquor and broken drinking vessels.⁴

Perrigrine’s entries concerning the temple seem particularly personal and unique. With the same emotion, he also recounted traveling with Joseph Smith Sr., the Prophet’s father. The account appears in this section.

Also included in this section is a reference to a Rosan Vergin, who appears to be another wife of Perrigrine. This is verified by a recently discovered note he wrote on November 22, 1878:

I PG Sessions had sealed to me Rosan Vergin in Nauvoo Hancock Co in Willard Richards Office he being one of the Twelve Apostles Feb 2 1846 Daughter of Susan Walton in May following I left her in Nauvoo Among Apostates and Mobocrats whare she was persuaded to Marry a Man By the name of Card and one child by him he died and she came and Settled in Woodruff Utah Oct 23/1878 came to Bountiful stoped to Sylvias my Sisters and Sent for me Asked forgiveness for what she had done and said she had been baptised I told her that I was willing to forgive her and do any thing lawful for her what that was I knew not She returned to her home and died Nov 3/1878 with a cansor in her rite brest was Buried in Woodruff.⁵

Patty and David Sessions left Nauvoo in February 1846, and Perrigrine’s family left that following May. Although Patty’s diary describes their trek westward in more detail than Perrigrine’s, Perrigrine’s diary gives details not included in his mother’s account. For example, a synthesis of the two records shows that both families were living in Winter Quarters, Nebraska, at the same time. According to Patty, David went to cut house logs on October 6, 1846, and, according to Perrigrine’s record, they moved into the house they had built on December 1846. After enduring the sickness and trials of the winter, the Sessions family, along with others, departed Winter Quarters, continuing the long journey to the Great Basin on June 5, 1847.

Perrigrine began a new diary as preparations were made to leave Nauvoo.⁶ Leaving their Nauvoo home for parts unknown was particularly wrenching, and Perrigrine did not write about it in much detail. (Included in this chapter is a tale—told to a descendant—which provides more vivid detail about the Sessionses’ departure from Nauvoo.) The inside front cover of his diary reads

Perrigrine Sessions 
His - Book 
A present from David Sessions. Jr 
February 
the 
- 3 - 1846 
Nauvoo the 
City of 
Joseph Smith

[Parallel or along the left edge are the following words, Due Leffenwell 38 cts]

Perrigrine’s Nauvoo Diary

Sunday. Feb--1-1846--Atendid quorum meting with the ninth quorum of seventies to my house in Nauvoo--and February the Second I atended too some further Ordinances in the House of the Lord under the hand of Orson Pratt and others with Lucina my Wife/went too the Temple to assist in giving indewm^ents^ & in the evening atendid too an ordinance ^in the Temple with Lucina Sessions^ [February 2, 1846] to brother Willard Richerdses with R . S⁷ ^Married Rosan Vergin^ in his Office and stood on gard to brother Tailors [John Taylor’s] ^the^ 3 continued in the Temple until four oclock in the morning with my Wife/altho I continued my labour in the Temple untill the 3 of the month when all things stopt in the Temple for too days at this time in the morning and evening of this day their was a flaim of fier sean by many to rest down upon the Temple on the day they raised the Feigr [figure] which is the reprisention of an Angel in his Priestly robe with the book of Mormon in one hand and a trumpet in the other which is over laid with gold leaf⁸ .4. put a handle on my knife that brother Hamilton gave me and made some preparations to remove west but gave it up in the evening by the counsil of Elder [Heber C.] Kimball 5 Topt my boots and met with the gard at the Temple and was detailed and went on gard to brother Willard Richer^dses^ and was releaved at one Ocl [o’clock] by Simeon A[dams]. Dunn 6/ sixth commenced again to give the indewments went to the temple and atendid to the ordinance of sealing in my family for the dead and for the liveing that is for Julyann my wife diseased died January 28 1845 in the city of Joseph being thirty years and six months and four days old when she died and left me with children one son and one daughter being born July 24 - 1815 in the town of Newry Oxford Co state of Maine Lucina Sessions acting as procksey for her being Born Septemb<er> 29 - 1819 - in the town of menter Gea[u]ga Co - Ohio and then for her self atending to the same Ordinance and Also atendid to some other ordinancies that pertain too my families’ organiseati^on^⁹ -7- helped Father prepare to remove west with the saints/the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints and met with the Gard as usual at the Temple and was detailed to brother Willard Richardses and was releaved/releasted by St John at twelve/12 oclock -8- Atendid meting & herd severil of the Twelve speak their fealings in regard to the church removeing west and their leaveing the City and the course that those that stay should persue as the mob spirit seamed to rather be kindling up in diferent parts of the cuntry again here they gave us their parting blessing and then atendid meeting with my quorum -9- asisted some of the saints some of them in getting/to get away/untill and about three oclock in the after noon when the alarm was raised that the Temple was on fier which caused considerable of an excitement but by great exertions/with much exertion the fier was stopt/extinguis^hed^ and done but little damage I then met with the gard and was detailed to brother Brigham Yong’s for the last time in this city and was releast by A. P. Rogers 10 met with the gard and was detailed to brother John Tailors and 11 worked in the shop shaveing spokes and went on gard/was detailed to brother Willard Richardses and was detailed/releaved/ released by James . H . Glines and stood all night & helped Father start for the west 12 worked in the shop continued to asist in geting Father and Mother started for the Rockey Mountains or some other remote region of the earth as a life among these Amongst such a Gentile Nation I am tiered of 13 do [ditto] 14 do 15 Atendid qorum meting and cut brother backster of[f] from the qorum for believe^ing^ in a man by the name of James Strang that claims to be a prophet and sear to the church 16 moved my family into Fathers house that he had left and wrot a letter to Father on his journey to the wilderness 17 do ^18^ do and worked in the shop^ 19 do - 20 helped to hall hay from the prarie 22 atend meting to the stand and quorum meting to my house 23 worked in the shop 24 do 25 do and Father and Mother came back and staid all night and 26 left and went back to the camp & I helped him of 27 haled hay from the prarie 28 in the shop /after My Father & Mother left I then was left with out team or wagon and not one dollar to help my self with at this time my life was sought with the rest of the saints that was left and the way hedged up for me to get away but the Lord helped me in a way that I looked not for here I shall not try to make a full acount of the scenes of poverty that I had to indure with my family[.]

On February 2, 1846, Perrigrine recorded, “Married Rosan Vergin.” The next day, he wrote, “In the morning and evening of this day their was a flaim of fier sean by many to rest down upon the Temple on the day they raised the Feigr” of the angel atop the Nauvoo Temple. Courtesy Church Archives.

MARCH 1846

Sunday March 1 - met with the qorum of seventy 2 buchered Fathers cow 3 in the shop 4 do .5 do 6. do 7 I met with the qorum 9-10-11-12-13 ^1/2^ day 14-15 atendid meeting 16 buchered for Lyons 17 in the shop 18 do 19 do 20 21 do 22 atendid metings to the stand 23 in the shop 24 do 25 & 26. and 27 [These last five dates resulted from Perrigrine’s edit of the original numbers] killed some sheap in the fore part of the day and worked in the Shop in the after noon 28 in the shop 30 went to weding of Enoch Tripp and Sophiah Billings 31 in the shop[.]

APRIL 1846

April 1 in the shop 2 in shop 3 do and continued in the shop until the 20 of May when I started for california[.]

MAY 1846

but sufise it to say that on the seventeenth of May [1846] I started with my family consisting of 5 [Perrigrine, Lucina, Mary, Martha Ann, and Carlos] crost the river with a wagon and team that the Lord had Blessed me with[.]¹⁰

Sidebar: From Family Histories

[This story, passed down orally, embellishes the few words written by Perrigrine. Recorded by Courtney Cottom, and given to the editor by a Sessions descendant, it preserves a conversation with one of Perrigrine’s children.]

Mr. Thomas Sessions [a son of Perrigrine], who is 80 years old, has among his possessions an unusual, and highly valued cane! Stopping by as he sat on his front porch this early autumn afternoon, in an old-fashioned rocking chair, replete with patchwork cushions, he told me the story connected with it.

“Father,” he said, “who was old Perrigrine Sessions, you know, brought it from Nauvoo with him when he came across with the first pioneers.”

Old relics are valuable, but there was an implication of greater interest than just “age” in Mr. Sessions’ manner. I let him tell the story in his own way, soaking up lore of the old days as he spoke.

“Father was a body-guard to the Prophet Joseph, and he went through all the mobbings of the early Mormons in the East.”

“Was he with Joseph Smith when he was assassinated?” I asked.

“No, he wasn’t. The guards took turns at this duty, because they still had to earn a living for their families, as well as protect him. Father was in Nauvoo, but not with the prophet.”

It was 101 years ago on Sept. 26 that this valiant ancestor of the old gentleman I was talking with broke wagon-trail into Bountiful, Utah. I still waited for the story of the cane, enjoying the reminiscing of the early days.

“When Brigham Young gave the order to be ready to march, father asked him if he should remain behind and help those who were not ready. But Brother Brigham knew the danger to anyone closely connected with the Prophet Joseph, so he advised father to be ready to leave the next morning before the sun came up.” [This is inconsistent with Perrigrine’s own diaries.]

It was a quiet moment, correlating his thoughts. ‘Father piled all he could on a wagon, and the next morning while they were at breakfast, two men, mobsters, came to the door. Father told them he was leaving with his family just as soon as they finished breakfast and piled a few more “traps” on the wagon. One of the men asked him how much he would take for the place and all he must leave.

“How much is it worth to you?” Father asked; he knew it would be better to get a bit than lose everything, as he most surely would.

The man took a pocketknife from his jeans. The blades were so loose you could have called chickens from across the street by rattling it. “I’ll take all for this,” he said.

Mr. Sessions continued, “Father took up a chair, and the men retreated. He often said he would have broken it over the fellow’s head if he hadn’t gone. Well, they finished packing and pulled out. There was father, Aunt Lucina and Aunt Mary, his wives, and Uncle Carl [Carlos Lyon] and Aunt Martha Anne, in the wagon besides all the things they loaded on. It was just at day-break as the sun was coming over the horizon. They got to the rise, about a third-mile down the road, and Father stopped the team.

“Look back for the last time on the home,” he said. “They turned around and everything was flaming against the early morning sky.^a They turned west again, and that was the last they ever saw of their place.”

“But when, and how, did he get the cane?” I pressed, for Mr. Sessions was so engrossed in remembering stories told to him by his father that he had forgotten the cane momentarily.

“The cane is hardwood,” he said. “It is made from the wood of the same tree the planks for the prophet’s coffin was made from. Father always carried it to ‘dress up’ affairs, although he seldom used it any other time. When he died, Mother brought it to me. She said, ‘Tom, you’re the oldest boy of my family, so you should have it.’ Mother was Esther Mabey and Father’s last wife.”

[Samuel W. Taylor, Nightfall at Nauvoo, wrote, “The rough oak boxes in which the bodies had been brought from Carthage were sawed up and made into canes. These containing a lock of Joseph’s hair at the head, were distributed as prized relics” (291). Unfortunately, he does not give a source for this statement. According to a conversation between the editor and Glen Leonard, director of the Museum of Church History and Art, the Dimic Huntington family donated a 33-inch long cane that belonged to Dimic. It was made from the wood of the box used to transport Joseph from Carthage to Nauvoo and is topped with an ivory piece that contains a visible lock of Joseph’s hair. Mr. Leonard also provided a copy of an article written by Steven Barnett, “The Canes of the Martyrdom,” BYU Studies 21 (spring 1981): 205–11, which describes in detail the Huntington cane, one owned by Wilford Woodruff, and mentions the one owned by Perrigrine.]

Perrigrine’s Winter Quarters Diary

and camped campt in Jackgrove a bout four miles here I staid three days in a hevy raine storm that flooded the whole cuntry and then we took our journey we knew not whare but took the roade that the saints had made that started in February 21 camped on sugar creek [nine miles west of Nauvoo] 22 camped near charleston 23 camped on the Desmion [Des Moines] river untill the 26 when we started on and camped on fox river and had a fine shower that mad the roades bad thence to the chariton[.]

JUNE 1846

and headed west through wet praries thence to Grand river and crosed over at mount pisgay [Pisgah, Iowa] June 12 and stopt untill the 15 and started on the south side of Plat[te] [River] continued our journey through a un an unsetled cuntry through the State of Iowa to council Bluffs on the Missouri river 22 day of June here I found Father & Mother and the maine camp of a Bout twelve hundred wagons they had stoped to Build a boate to cross the river with here we were surrounded by the Lamanites [Native Americans] on all sides and over one hundred miles from the Cursed Gentiles here altho not a house for the thousands that were in camp yet I felt at home for my home was in my wagon and that I could move as I pleased here I spent a bout one month in ferieing [ferrying] the saints a crost the river and when we had nearly all got a crost Captin Alem [Allen] came and wanted five hundred men to go to Mexico as Mexico and the States were at Ware this seamed a hard thing to let that number of our yong men go but to save our lives and our familes as the mob spirit was in the whole nation from the highest to the lowest and if they did not go the Government would send a Mob on us this looked hard but we had it to do and in too days the number was made up and in a short time were on their way a foot and a journey of thousans of miles before them over the deserts to fight for a nation that had driven us out of their mi[n]ds¹¹ this stopt our camp and were Obliged to give up crossing the Rockey mountains this season after all were safe over the river a part of the camp started for Grand Isleand about too hundred miles up the plat river I started with the rest with Father & Mother traviled some forty miles here we came to the Elk horn river and I with about one hundred were detailed to stop and build a bridg¹² here we staid about ten days while some too hundred wagons went on when they got near to the Island they found the grass not sifficient for to winter the cattle and they took a North coarse to strike the Missouri river some too hundred miles above the Bluffs this was the council of the Presidency which had not over taken us after ten days hard labour in the water wast deep puting in the Butmens for the Bridg we had council to return Back to the maine camp that had moved up the river about twelve miles to a place caled Winter quarters while on the way Mother was taken sick with a fever and when we got to the camp we did not expect her Mother to live from one day to another[.]

AUGUST 1846

this was August 10/1846 here I found many sick and dying dayley and not but few able to work I with about twenty others went to cutting hay to winter our stock laboured about one month while Mother and my wife Lucina & Mary both were sick with the Ague and fever[.]

SEPTEMBER 1846

this was the first of September here I had a hard time untill the 24 we moved [camp] about four miles to the river whare I built a house to winter in altho not a foot of lumber and timber scarse but each family set to work to prepare for winter this was a tedious job as many families had no man to build or take care of them but all done what they could for themselves and others and it would Astonish the world to see how quick ther was about twelve hundred houses built¹³ with a good flouring mill altho we had but little graine to grind I got a house sixteen by twenty ready and moved into it the 12 December 1846, “this is saturday evening Dec 12 we are here among the Lamanites and on last tuesday night about one Oclock their was an atack of the Ioway [Iowa] ^Indians^ upon the Mohaw[k]s their was about twenty of them asleap in their wigwams when the Ioways shot into the camp and woundid the chief in the head and lodged the ball in his shoulder one more was shot through the head but is not dead yet one sqaw shot in her arm and has had it taken off this was in sight of our house and about a quarter of a mile and last night the Sues [Sioux] found some of the Mohaws out on a hunt about forty miles above here and they kiled about sixty of them their interpiter came in here this evening he made his escape with eight more of the Mohaws and we have about one hundred around us and another such a howling you never herd they are all friendly to us we are on the Mohaws land [George] Mil[l]er¹⁴ is on the Puncaws [Ponca] land and the pauncas and sues are friendly to the Mormons and we settle on their lands all things goes off well and we expect to start on to cross the Mountains I want to see you all I have not time to write anymore so I must bid you all good by write evry oportunity and when you will come P G Sessions”¹⁵ the 13 of Dec thin [then] I had to prepare wood for the winter here I had a hard time to take care of our cattle as the Indians were killing them evry day and we got the cattle togather into a herd of about four thousan head this herd I helped to take care of for a bout one month camping with the cattle and watched them by day and night Dec 17 started to Missouri after provisions gone twenty days camped by the road a journey of one hundred and sixty miles the snow fell too feet deep while I was gone this seamed as hard a journey as ever man indured or bears the wether was very cold and not a house to put our heads in but by the blessing of God I got home with some flour and meet to sustaine my family I started in company with some six for a hunt got about fifteen miles broke down our wagon and had to camp on a bleak Prarie with Edmond [Edmund] El[l]sworth¹⁶ the coldest night that I ever saw and come with in a hares bredth of freezing to death staid some eight days the coldest wether that I ever saw in my life was nocked down by a limb that blew from a tree and was Oblige to return home or was sent for by the Presidency of the church th[e]y thinking that we had all frosen to death got home the fifteenth & first of Jan after a few days I started with William Empey¹⁷ on another hunt traviled about forty miles and found some game deer Turkies Wolves and some wild Honey here we had good luck found a number of trees well filled with honey killed severil fine Turkies and had a good time untill about three the last days when about too feet feet of snow fell and the wether cold[.]

Edmund Ellsworth, a fellow pioneer who led the first handcart company across the plains in 1856. Courtesy Church Archives.

FEBRUARY 1847

got home on the 20 of Feb staid at home seven days here we had a time of joy and satisfaction eating honey and Turkey on the 27 started with William [Lathrop] Cutler & William [S.] Hathaway for the State of Missouri and Iowa - the roades very hard and made slow headway altho we had a good team nething of importance hapened to us on the way found many of the Old Mobocrats in Clay and Ray counties one circumstance that I here name in thirty eight [1838] when on my way out of Missouri near Pelmira [Palmyra, Missouri] in company with Father Joseph Smith the Father of the Prophet Joseph and Carlos Smith in a snow storm caled to farm house to by some corn and stay all night Father Smith asked the man if we could camp there and by some feed he says are you mormons Father Smith said yes said he Dam you you cant stay here with many other insulting words we all turned from him and when we had got into the street Father Smith took off his hat altho the snow falling and with an uplifted hand said in the name of the lord whome we serve let that man bee cursed in his basket and in his Store and let his name be cut of[f] from under heaven and we all said Amen when I come to travil the roade againe tho years had pased this was brought fresh to my mind for behold there was naught to mark the spot but the ruins of his house burnt to ashes his Orchard broken down his Wife and three children were burned to death in his house and he at this time was in close confinement and incane [insane] here I saw the Power of the Holy Priesthood manifest for at the next house we were received kindley and Father Smith left his blessing upon the house and family here my eyes beheld his words fulfilled to the letter all this Passed and the too men ignorent of the curseing or the blessing placed upon them - but we pased on I caled to Nauvoo to settle some buisness found many of my old friends stade to Sister P P. Pratts¹⁸ thence by steamboat to Iowa city here I found my brother David and Sylvia my Sister all redy to start to visit Father and Mother at Winter qarters staide too days then took a team of horses and we all started for I had then traviled about five hundred miles and it was about three Back as I had to go around on a count of the cuntry not being setled here we traviled through the uper part of the state of Ioway some places over one hundred miles betwene houses and many places we had to build Bridges and head the streams this was not a very plesent journey but we landid safe at my Fathers[.]

APRIL 1847

on the 21 of April found my family all well and glad to meet once more as a family found that a company of Poineers had started for the rockey mountains of about one hundred men they had been gone seven days when I had been at home too days the Indians came near the town and took seven head of cattle away from some boys shot at the Boys and then left the Alarm was given and about six of us started after the Indians followed them about fifteen miles got severil of the cattle but they were too many for us as there was about thirty after we got home the next day there was an alarm given that forty four Indians were on there way to a herd of cattle that was up the Missouri river about one hundred miles I started with nine others with too Mules with a bout one hours notice and little provision on hand but away we went and traviled day and night untill we found the herd a bout noon and found that the Indians had killed then four catle we got the herd togather as soon as we could and put a gard around them when we had got this done the Indians came upon us and all fiered there guns at us but not a man tucht this was about nine in the evening and againe before morning they came and got near to the camp before we saw them but we drove them away and they came nomore¹⁹ here I suffered more then I ever did in my life before for food feet Blistered and no rest day nor night for about ten days this was the hardest times I ever saw in my life or expect ever to live through when I got home I could hardly walk as I had been a bout six days with out Bread I now had to prepare to follow the poineers My sister [Sylvia Lyon] let us have some money I then Bought our fitout for the plaines which was three hundred lbs of flour to each person[.]²⁰