Obituary
| Birth: | Oct. 7, 1843 Nashville Jackson County Iowa, USA |
| Death: | Dec. 29, 1927 Manti Sanpete County Utah, USA |
 Rodolphus N. Bennett, Indian war veteran, pioneer settler and colonizer, and the oldest man in Mt. Pleasant, died at the family home Thursday after a long illness due to the infirmities of old age. Mr. Bennett was born October 27, 1843 in Nashville, Iowa. His parents, David and Johannah, Lovelith Bennett and their ten children were among the earliest converts to the L. D. S. faith, coming to Utah in 1850 in the company of which David Bennett was captain. Mr. Bennett came to Mt. Pleasant among the earliest settlers in 1852, and had resided here ever since, with the exception of some years spent in colonizing settlements and on missionary labors. His first wife died May 2, 1900, and two years later he married Mrs. Matilda A. Burns, widow of Sheriff Milton Burns, who survives him. Three sons and three daughters by his first marriage also survive. Family links: Parents: David Alma Bennett (1801 - 1853) Joanna Lowell Bennett (1803 - 1856) Spouses: Hannah E Allred Bennett (1848 - 1900)* Matilda Josephine Anderson Burns Bennett (1853 - 1936)* Children: William Rudolphus Bennett (1864 - 1930)* Ann Laura Bennett Madsen (1885 - 1976)* Isaac Rowlin Bennett (1887 - 1964)* Siblings: Laura Elizabeth Bennett Young (1826 - 1880)* Alma Harrison Bennett (1831 - 1905)* Mahetable Mahala Maria Bennett Beers (1834 - 1888)* Rudolphus Nathaniel Bennett (1843 - 1927) Emma Euphrasia Bennett Porter (1848 - 1928)* *Calculated relationship | |
| Burial: Mount Pleasant City Cemetery Mount Pleasant Sanpete County Utah, USA Plot: A_36_3_8  | |
More Wives Than One: Transformation of the Mormon Marriage System, 1840-1910By Kathryn M. Daynes
The following are snippets from Mt. Pleasant History by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf
p 63: We quote Rudolph N. Bennett, in a talk given by him at a
pioneer meeting, March 24, 1924, "There was at that time three
months at school and nine months out at work, not vacation; no wonder
some of us have not the book learning we would like, but we did not
have the opportunity to get it. The school seats were then made of
slabs and the desks were of rough boards. The schools now have all
that is necessary, including music." Concerning the use of the
building, we again quote Mr. Bennett, "This building was also
used for a dance hall, 'Nigger Shows,' theatre and school doings. The
lights were furnished by a sage brush or cedar fire; on special
occasions tallow candles were used. The house was always packed
because the people were glad for any kind of entertainment that could
be given."
Among other prominent pioneer musicians, who also contributed necessary pioneer music were Levi B. Reynolds, violinist; George Nielsen, tambourine; Orin Clark, the Jaw Bones of an Ox on a stick; Alma Staker, Bone Clapper; Rudolph Bennett, Triangle; Bent Hansen, Bass Fiddle; Soren Hansen, Clarinet; Andrew Bramsted, Violin; and August Mynear, Violin.
p 64: During the late summer and during the fall and winter
months, P. M. Peel and James Porter Sr., built a chopping mill on
Peel's lot on Pleasant Creek, (northeast corner, intersection, Main
Street and First West) where the stream had previously been taken out
and used for irrigation purposes. Here the stream furnished the water
power with which to run the mill. Owing to the distance to the
nearest flour mill, this mill was a great assistance, and the people
were glad to take their wheat there to be chopped. It was ground
between two stones and came out quite black, but coarse as it was, it
served the purpose and was used for bread. At about this time, a
small Burr mill was built east on Pleasant Creek, a little south of
where the Mount Pleasant flour mill is now, by John
Fredrick Fechser and John Ellertsen, (Spring City). A
whip saw was installed in the fort, on the banks of Pleasant Creek,
by Wellington Seeley and Rudolph N. Bennett, and was operated by
Thomas Dutton.
p68:
Realizing the need of recreation and entertainment, in 1860, a dramatic company, which always played to packed houses, was organized by a number of people, among whom were W. W. Brandon Sr., John Ivie and wife, Katherine Ivie, Rudolph Bennett, George Porter and Joseph Smith Day. As time went on, the personnel of the company would change, but W. W. Brandon and Katherine Ivie played with them for years. During the winter months, their plays were put on in the log meeting house in the center of the fort, using wagon covers and other such material as they could provide for scenery. Among other plays, they presented the Merchant of Venice, and Good For Nothing Nan.
p 72: Independence Day, July the 4th, 1861, was celebrated
with appropriate ceremonies. A new flag pole was erected on the
Church Square. It was
one straight, long pole brought from the mountains by Svend Larsen,
Abraham Day, William Morrison Sr., and others, and prepared with a
plane and' draw knife brought from Norway by Erick Gunderson Sr., was
set up by Erick Gunderson Sr., Gunder E. Gunderson, Jacob Rolfson1,
William Morrison Sr., and others. There was much rejoicing; an ox had
been killed for the occasion and a public dinner was given in the
bowery, on the south side in the square. A pitch pine torch in each
corner of the bowery furnished the light for the dance held in the
evening, for which music was furnished by John Waldermar, James
Hansen, Lars Nielsen (Fiddler), and others. All enjoyed them selves
to the utmost. R. N. Bennett states, "I recall the dances held
often in the old bowery, dancing on the dirt floor, some of us
barefoot, but we would make the dust fly. Bishop Seeley was great on
big eats. A saying was, 'We'll cut a squash, kill a chicken and have
a treat.' The only fruit I remember we ever had were bull berries,
service berries, and choke cherries, these were dried and used in the
winter, too."
pp 106,107: Concerning the expedition, R. N. Bennett stated: "Not all Indians were bad. There were many good ones living near Nephi and in Utah County, but on account of so many renegades, as they were called, it was hard to tell the good from the bad. So naturally, we were suspicious of all. In the spring of 1866 old Chief Kanosh sent word to the effect that a lot of Indians, who had stolen cattle, etc., were camped in Nephi Hills. This was told to officers Snow and Allred. Jake, a son of Kanosh, had been raised among the white people and Kanosh said if the Mormons wanted him to, he would send him to pick out the renegades or bad Indians. The outcome was they secured a bunch of those who had killed, and started with them to Manti to be tried and put in jail. However, on the way we had some trouble. At daybreak we heard the dogs barking. We were camped in a flat. Jake called to the other Indians in a tone that made the mountains echo and told them to keep still or be killed. The Indians were unruly and in the skirmish one was killed. They held court at Manti. Jake gave evidence against the Indians; four were condemned to be killed and the rest put in jail. A bunch of white men were detailed or drafted to get rid of the four."
March 20th, orders were again received at Mount Pleasant for men, this time for ten to go to an Indian camp in Salt Creek Canyon, near Nephi. They at once responded and they, with others from other settlements, captured four Indians who had been with Chief Black Hawk at Ephraim the year previous, when so many depredations were committed. According to orders, the captives were shot and killed in a ditch below Nephi. The men were away from Mount Pleasant on this expedition three days. April 15th, a call was made by the church for men to go east for immigrants. The following men, Hans Brotherson, Charlie Hampshire, George Tuft, Christian Petersen (Peel), Neils Jensen,
107
Hans Scholft, Fredrick Petersen, Neils L. Lund, August Mynear,
Oscar Barton, Don Carlos Seeley, and Jorgen Hansen, with Lyman Peters as night guard, were fitted out by the colonists and left Mount Pleasant April 19th with eleven wagons and 44 oxen for Salt Lake City, where they joined with others. The entire company leaving Salt Lake City consisted of 456 teamsters, 49 mounted guard, 89 horses, 134 mules, 304 oxen, and 397 wagons.
On October 20th they returned with a company of immigrants who were chiefly from Scandinavia. This company consisted of a part of Abner Lowry's company. On the journey crossing the plains, 'George Farnsworth had rendered efficient service in waiting on the cholera patients as he was the only man with the company who was acquainted with the disease. Fifty-six persons died on the plains, leaving Farnsworth in charge of fifty-three orphans, whom he brought to Utah. They were distributed among the saints who applied for them.
On April 18th, Indian Chief Sanpitch and other Indians, broke jail at Manti. A posse was at once in close pursuit and three Indians were killed within the city limits. R. N. Bennett, Peter Miller, Niels Madsen, Peter Christopherson and others, started in pursuit of the remainder of the party.
They were joined by a group of men from Moroni and other places. Concerning this, we quote R. N. Bennett: "George Tucker was my captain in the fore part of 1866. In the spring we captured nine Black Hawk Indians in the mountains east of Nephi, and put them in the county jail at Manti. About April 14th they broke jail, three of them being killed while trying to escape, and others went so far north as Fountain Green, then called Uinta, going into the mountains on the west.
p 110: Quoting R. N. Bennett: "David Candland was sent with the epistle for the people of Fairview to move to Mount Pleasant, the people of Fountain Green to Moroni, and the people of Spring City to move to Ephraim. John L. Ivie and myself were sent as Candland's body guards. After these families had moved, the minute men of Mount Pleasant and other settlements had to go as guards for the men while they did their work."
p 112: A cavalry consisting of about eighteen or twenty men, including Colonel Ivie, George Tucker, Orange Seely, R. N. Bennett (Dolph), Martin Aldrich, Aaron Oman, Niels Madsen, and Peter Fredricksen started with great speed for Dewey's camp, at Fairview, others joined them.
R. N. Bennett made the following statement concerning the attack: "June 24, 1866, Black Hawk warriors attacked Captain Peter Dewey's company at Thistle Valley, killing one man, Charles Brown, of Draper, and wounding Thomas Snaar, and driving off twenty or more head of horses. John L. Ivie, Orange Seely, George Tucker, myself and others went to recover the horses. We followed Black Hawk and his band nearly to the head of Spanish Fork River, going a distance of about forty or fifty miles, then following down the Spanish Fork River, to about where Thistle Junction now is. During this engagement three or four Indians were killed, and a number wounded."
p. 90:
As Rowe drove up, the Indian took Conderset's hat and put it on his own head and stood astraddle of the fire. We did not understand why. Rowe looked at the Indian and said, 'Boys, he is here for no good.' Conderset told his father what the Indian said about the Indians killing eight men in Provo Canyon. Rowe began asking the Indian questions about it. The Indian said that it was eight sleep
ya-tes, eight days since, holding up eight fingers. Rowe said, 'You are mistaken, for if it were so, the papers would talk about it.' The Indian became uneasy and wanted to go to his saddle. Rowe said, 'I will go with you.' The Indian seemed willing that he should do so, till he got his horse, when he said his horse's back was sore, which was very common with Indian horses. Rowe told the Indian that he would walk for he was anxious to keep the Indian with us all night. He also told the Indian that there would be ten men there by morning, and ten more later, word having reached Mount Pleasant that the Indians intended making a raid on Thistle Valley. Upon hearing this, the Indian became more eager to go than ever, he jumped on his horse and was gone, and we saw no more of him. Mr. Rowe remarked that trouble was brewing and that we would have to shift for ourselves as best we could. About midnight, after we had conversed about what we would do in case we were attacked, we heard a yell down in the valley in the direction of the road. Rowe said: 'there comes the boys.' We boys fearing that it might be Indians, planned what to do if such should be the case. It proved to be four boys from Mount Pleasant, namely, R. N. Bennett, Don C. Seely, Peter Miller and James Hansen. They told us that as they were coming up from the road, they saw a small fire up Indian Hollow, and started towards it, when they got into a ridge and saw our fire, and came to it. We got supper for them. We looked for more men in the morning, but they did not come. We gathered the stock and sheep and drove to Mount Pleasant. At Fairview we got supper at Gammet's. There was no further trouble with Indians that fall, but we always believed that if we had not received timely help, we might have been murdered."
As Rowe drove up, the Indian took Conderset's hat and put it on his own head and stood astraddle of the fire. We did not understand why. Rowe looked at the Indian and said, 'Boys, he is here for no good.' Conderset told his father what the Indian said about the Indians killing eight men in Provo Canyon. Rowe began asking the Indian questions about it. The Indian said that it was eight sleep
ya-tes, eight days since, holding up eight fingers. Rowe said, 'You are mistaken, for if it were so, the papers would talk about it.' The Indian became uneasy and wanted to go to his saddle. Rowe said, 'I will go with you.' The Indian seemed willing that he should do so, till he got his horse, when he said his horse's back was sore, which was very common with Indian horses. Rowe told the Indian that he would walk for he was anxious to keep the Indian with us all night. He also told the Indian that there would be ten men there by morning, and ten more later, word having reached Mount Pleasant that the Indians intended making a raid on Thistle Valley. Upon hearing this, the Indian became more eager to go than ever, he jumped on his horse and was gone, and we saw no more of him. Mr. Rowe remarked that trouble was brewing and that we would have to shift for ourselves as best we could. About midnight, after we had conversed about what we would do in case we were attacked, we heard a yell down in the valley in the direction of the road. Rowe said: 'there comes the boys.' We boys fearing that it might be Indians, planned what to do if such should be the case. It proved to be four boys from Mount Pleasant, namely, R. N. Bennett, Don C. Seely, Peter Miller and James Hansen. They told us that as they were coming up from the road, they saw a small fire up Indian Hollow, and started towards it, when they got into a ridge and saw our fire, and came to it. We got supper for them. We looked for more men in the morning, but they did not come. We gathered the stock and sheep and drove to Mount Pleasant. At Fairview we got supper at Gammet's. There was no further trouble with Indians that fall, but we always believed that if we had not received timely help, we might have been murdered."
p 91: In April, another call was made for men with oxen and
wagons to go east to bring immigrants. Anthon H. Lund1,
C. W. Anderson, James Gundersen, J. D. Page, and Lars Frandsen, with
R. N. Bennett as night guard responded. They, with their oxen and
wagons, went to Salt Lake City where a company of 277 men, 177
wagons and 1717 oxen were fitted out with provisions for the
immigrants whom they met at Wyoming, a village seven miles north
of Nebraska City, Nebraska, as that place instead of Florence,
Nebraska had then been selected as an out-fitting place.
p 95: A call was made for Mount Pleasant to send twenty-three
men to the defense of the inhabitants of Sevier Valley. A few days
later, a group of well-armed men responded to the call, according to
Andrew Madsen's Journal, "A party of about twenty men, John
Ivie, Dolph Bennett (R. N.), Orange Seeley, George Frandsen,
Christian Jensen, Alma Zabriskie, Peter Fredricksen, N. Peter Madsen.
Mortin Rasmussen, myself and others, with three baggage wagons driven
by Rasmus Frandsen, Jacob Christensen and Peter Y. Jensen, started
out at daybreak. At our arrival at Manti, we were told what had
transpired at Salina Canyon and of the killing of Ward and Anderson.
We were ordered to hurry on at once. We arrived in Salina early in
the evening where we were joined by a number of men from other
settlements. Preparations were made during the night, and early the
following morning, Colonel Reddick Allred with eighty-four armed men
started up Salina Canyon in pursuit of the Indians. About ten miles
east of Salina,
p 100: On the other side of the river we could see fresh
wichiups made of green trees. The river was too high to ford. Dolph
Bennett, of Mount Pleasant, John Sanders, of Fairview, and Jens
Larsen of Ephraim, were chosen as advance guards to swim across to
investigate. John Sanders very nearly drowned, but was rescued
by Bennett. The advance men, upon reaching the other shore found a
great many fresh tracks of the Indians, and called back to tell of
their find. After scouting about a short time, they returned across
the river to the balance of the company. Most of the company
wanted to follow the tracks, but upon taking inventory of their
supplies, which now consisted of cracker crumbs only, the officers
decided on account of the jaded condition of the horses and the lack
of supplies, to give up the chase and return home.
pp 106,107: Concerning the expedition, R. N. Bennett stated: "Not all Indians were bad. There were many good ones living near Nephi and in Utah County, but on account of so many renegades, as they were called, it was hard to tell the good from the bad. So naturally, we were suspicious of all. In the spring of 1866 old Chief Kanosh sent word to the effect that a lot of Indians, who had stolen cattle, etc., were camped in Nephi Hills. This was told to officers Snow and Allred. Jake, a son of Kanosh, had been raised among the white people and Kanosh said if the Mormons wanted him to, he would send him to pick out the renegades or bad Indians. The outcome was they secured a bunch of those who had killed, and started with them to Manti to be tried and put in jail. However, on the way we had some trouble. At daybreak we heard the dogs barking. We were camped in a flat. Jake called to the other Indians in a tone that made the mountains echo and told them to keep still or be killed. The Indians were unruly and in the skirmish one was killed. They held court at Manti. Jake gave evidence against the Indians; four were condemned to be killed and the rest put in jail. A bunch of white men were detailed or drafted to get rid of the four."
March 20th, orders were again received at Mount Pleasant for men, this time for ten to go to an Indian camp in Salt Creek Canyon, near Nephi. They at once responded and they, with others from other settlements, captured four Indians who had been with Chief Black Hawk at Ephraim the year previous, when so many depredations were committed. According to orders, the captives were shot and killed in a ditch below Nephi. The men were away from Mount Pleasant on this expedition three days. April 15th, a call was made by the church for men to go east for immigrants. The following men, Hans Brotherson, Charlie Hampshire, George Tuft, Christian Petersen (Peel), Neils Jensen,
107
Hans Scholft, Fredrick Petersen, Neils L. Lund, August Mynear,
Oscar Barton, Don Carlos Seeley, and Jorgen Hansen, with Lyman Peters as night guard, were fitted out by the colonists and left Mount Pleasant April 19th with eleven wagons and 44 oxen for Salt Lake City, where they joined with others. The entire company leaving Salt Lake City consisted of 456 teamsters, 49 mounted guard, 89 horses, 134 mules, 304 oxen, and 397 wagons.
On October 20th they returned with a company of immigrants who were chiefly from Scandinavia. This company consisted of a part of Abner Lowry's company. On the journey crossing the plains, 'George Farnsworth had rendered efficient service in waiting on the cholera patients as he was the only man with the company who was acquainted with the disease. Fifty-six persons died on the plains, leaving Farnsworth in charge of fifty-three orphans, whom he brought to Utah. They were distributed among the saints who applied for them.
On April 18th, Indian Chief Sanpitch and other Indians, broke jail at Manti. A posse was at once in close pursuit and three Indians were killed within the city limits. R. N. Bennett, Peter Miller, Niels Madsen, Peter Christopherson and others, started in pursuit of the remainder of the party.
They were joined by a group of men from Moroni and other places. Concerning this, we quote R. N. Bennett: "George Tucker was my captain in the fore part of 1866. In the spring we captured nine Black Hawk Indians in the mountains east of Nephi, and put them in the county jail at Manti. About April 14th they broke jail, three of them being killed while trying to escape, and others went so far north as Fountain Green, then called Uinta, going into the mountains on the west.
p 112: A cavalry consisting of about eighteen or twenty men, including Colonel Ivie, George Tucker, Orange Seely, R. N. Bennett (Dolph), Martin Aldrich, Aaron Oman, Niels Madsen, and Peter Fredricksen started with great speed for Dewey's camp, at Fairview, others joined them.
p 113: During the skirmish in Thistle Valley, Orange Seely and
Dolph Bennett, seeing an Indian leave his horse and sneak into the
wash towards camp, captured the horse, saddle, bridle, a buckskin
jacket and a long lasso rope. Seely kept the horse for some time as a
trophy of war. All horses, excepting five or six head of saddle
horses were missing. These were hitched by the rescuing party to the
wagons and the camp was moved to a more protected location,
where Indianola now stands. The body of Charles Brown was taken to
Mount Pleasant for burial.
p117: It was originally intended to build a wall twelve feet high, but as the trouble with the Indians grew less serious, the wall was never completed.
Andrew Rolph states that to build this wall, people were organized in companies with captains. Mortin Rasmussen, he remembers, was captain over one group. The wall was constructed on a straight line, for about three blocks on the east side of Fourth East. Orin Clark's house, about southeast of the corner of the interdiction of Main and Fourth East was east or outside of the wall. North of Main, the wall ran about a block north, then northwest one block, and ended there. Svend Larsen's and Jim Walker's houses, about southeast of the corner of intersection of Fourth East and Main, and the house on the northeast corner of interdiction of First North and Third East was west, or inside of the wall. The rocks from this wall were later used to wall up cellars all about the city. R. N. Bennett stated that a bastille was started In this wall but not completed.''
Andrew Rolph states that to build this wall, people were organized in companies with captains. Mortin Rasmussen, he remembers, was captain over one group. The wall was constructed on a straight line, for about three blocks on the east side of Fourth East. Orin Clark's house, about southeast of the corner of the interdiction of Main and Fourth East was east or outside of the wall. North of Main, the wall ran about a block north, then northwest one block, and ended there. Svend Larsen's and Jim Walker's houses, about southeast of the corner of intersection of Fourth East and Main, and the house on the northeast corner of interdiction of First North and Third East was west, or inside of the wall. The rocks from this wall were later used to wall up cellars all about the city. R. N. Bennett stated that a bastille was started In this wall but not completed.''
p 130: with R. N. (Dolph) Bennett acting as head freighter.
Long trips were made with mule or horse teams, shorter ones with ox
teams. The store receiving cash for their produce, many people were
thereby benefited.
p 138: August 26th, 1868, Dan Miller, of Nephi, and his son,
returning with a load of lumber from Snow and Douglas Mill in Oak
Creek Canyon, east of Spring City, were attacked by Indians. Dolph
Bennett, who was on his way to the mill, discovered Mr. Miller lying
in a bed of cactus. After lifting him out he went to the mill to give
the alarm.
p 139: Quoting R. N. Bennett: "Records show that
during the war 72 white people and about 122 Indians were killed in
Utah."
An act to pension the survivors of certain Indian Wars from
January 1, 1859, to 1891 was approved March 4, 1917. Coming at this late date the majority of those who had served in the early days had passed away. The following named are those who at that time proved up in Mt. Pleasant: Martin Aldrich, Claus Anderson, C. W. Anderson, Rasmus Anderson, Oscar Barton, Rudolph Bennett, Andrew Beckstrom, Martin Bohne, Martin Brotherson, Joseph Burton, John Carlson, James Christensen, Robert Eiertson, Rasmus Frandsen, James Hendricksen, Neils Johansen, Andrew Jensen, Sophus Johnson, John Knudsen, Brigham Lee, Peter Monsen, Bennett Monk, James Olson, Ole Arlson, Olof Rosenlof, Conderset Rowe, Hyrum Seely, John H. Seely, William Seely, Olof Sorensen, John Waldermar, August Wall, Thomas Wrest, Hazzard Wilcox, Alma White, Joseph Wise, Oscar Anderson, Wesley Bills, Joseph Coates, Henry Ericksen, Peter N. Jensen, Peter Rasmussen, Joseph N. Seely, Andrew Rolph, S. A. Barton, Edmond C. Johnson, William Olson. The last four named are living in Mt. Pleasant, in 1939, as are the widows of Martin Aldrich, Joseph Burton, Sophus Johnson, Oscar Barton, Hazzard Wilcox, John Carlson, Peter M. Jensen, Oscar Anderson and A. G. Omen.
p 203: Rudolph N. Bennett, a Black Hawk War Veteran, and the
last survivor of the pioneers whose names are engraved on the Mt.
Pleasant monument, died December 29, 1927, at the age of eightyfour
years.
No comments:
Post a Comment