The Women of Mormondom

by Edward W. Tullidge

A few incidents from the life of Sister Hendricks, whose husband was wounded in "Crooked River battle," where the apostle David Patten fell, may properly be here preserved.

Of that mournful incident, she says: "A neighbor stopped at the gate and alighted from his horse; I saw him wipe his eyes, and knew that he was weeping; he came to the door and said, 'Mr. Hendricks wishes you to come to him at the Widow Metcalf's. He is shot.' I rode to the place, four miles away, and there saw nine of the brethren, pale and weak from their wounds, being assisted into the wagons that were to take them to their homes. In the house was my husband, and also David Patten, who was dying. My husband was wounded in the neck in such a manner as to injure the spinal column, which paralyzed his extremities. Although he could speak, he could not move any more than if he were dead."

Mr Hendricks lived until 1870, being an almost helpless invalid up to that time. Their son William was a member of the famous battalion. Mrs. H. still survives, and is the happy progenitress of five children, sixty-three grandchildren, and twenty-three great-grandchildren.

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The wife of Bishop McRae deserves remembrance in connection with an incident of the battle of Nauvoo. When it was determined to surrender that city, the fugitive saints were naturally anxious to take with them in their flight whatever of property, etc., they could, that would be necessary to them in their sojourn in the wilderness. It will be seen at once that nothing could have been of more service to them than their rifles and ammunition. Hence, with a refinement of cruelty, the mobbers determined to rob them of these necessaries. They accordingly demanded the arms and ammunition of all who left the city, and searched their wagons to see that none were secreted. Mrs. McRae was determined to save a keg of powder, however, and so she ensconced herself in her wagon with the powder keg as a seat, covering it with the folds of her dress. Soon a squad of the enemy came to her wagon, and making as if to search it, asked her to surrender whatever arms and ammunition she might have on hand. She quietly kept her seat, however, and coolly asked them, "How many more times are you going to search this wagon to-day?" This question giving them the impression that they had already searched the wagon, they moved on, and Mrs. McRae saved her powder.

She still lives, and is at present a much respected resident of Salt Lake City.

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Mrs. Mary M. Luce, a venerable sister, now in her seventy-seventh year, and a resident of Salt Lake City, deserves a passing mention from the fact that her religion has caused her to traverse the entire breadth of the continent, in order to be gathered with the saints. She was a convert of Wilford Woodruff, who visited her native place while on mission to the "Islands of the Sea" (Fox Islands, off the Coast of Maine). In 1838, with her family, she journeyed by private conveyance from Maine to Illinois, joining the saints at Nauvoo. This was, in those days, a very long and tedious journey, consuming several months' time. During the persecutions of Nauvoo, she was reduced to extreme poverty; but, after many vicissitudes, was enabled to reach Salt Lake City the first year after the pioneers, where she has since continued to reside. In her experience she has received many tests and manifestations of the divine origin of the latter-day work, and testifies that "these are the happiest days" of her life.

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Elizabeth H., wife of William Hyde, for whom "Hyde Park," Utah, was named, was born in Holliston, Middlesex county, Mass., October 2d, 1813. She was the daughter of Joel and Lucretia Bullard, and a descendant, on the maternal side, from the Goddards. Her mother and herself were baptized into the Mormon faith in 1838, and they moved to Nauvoo in 1841, where Elizabeth was married to Elder Hyde, in 1842. He was on mission most of the time up to 1846, when they left Nauvoo, in the exodus of the church. Her husband joined the Mormon battalion in July following, returning home in the last month of 1847. In the spring of 1849, with their three surviving children, they journeyed to Salt Lake Valley, where they resided until about seventeen years ago, when they removed to Cache Valley, and founded the settlement which bears their name. Mr. Hyde died in 1872, leaving five wives and twenty-two children. "It is my greatest desire," says sister Hyde, "that I may so live as to be accounted worthy to dwell with those who have overcome, and have the promise of eternal lives, which is the greatest gift of God."