William Rufus Rogers Stowell
William Rufus Rogers Stowell (September 23, 1822 – May 30, 1901) was a Mormon pioneer and early member of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) established by Joseph Smith.
The reports he gave to U.S. commanders during his capture likely delayed the overall conflict, buying the time needed to negotiate and reduce tensions on both sides.
[1] Although the family started with three acres of cleared land and a 14-by-14-foot (4.3 m × 4.3 m) stick shanty for a home, William along with his father and siblings, worked hard to eventually increase their farm to include 260 acres, a sawmill, “houses, barns, orchards and the conveniences and comforts of a wealthy farmer of that time.” At about the age of six, William's leg was accidentally broken, and the bone healed naturally within a few weeks.
[4] In 1843, at the age of 21, Stowell left his home in Westfield, New York, with his mother and siblings to travel to Nauvoo, Illinois, and join the main body of Latter Day Saints who had gathered there.
In late fall, early winter 1849, Apostle John Taylor stayed at Stowell's home in Missouri on his way to his latest mission assignment in Europe.
"[1] Stowell left Missouri in June 1850 with the company of Captain David Evans, founder of Evansville, Utah, and arrived in Great Salt Lake Valley a few months later in September 1850.
While traveling, Stowell was a good shot with a rifle and helped to supply the wagon company with buffalo meat throughout their trek west.
[4] Stowell eventually settled in Provo, UT in January 1851, buying a 25-acre plot of land and building a farm and cabin on the property.
On October 19, 1852, Stowell remarried to Cynthia Jane Park in Provo, the marriage performed by Apostle John Taylor.
Rather than farming in 1853, Stowell received frequent calls from the local militia to travel to nearby settlements and support Mormon settlers under threat of hostile natives.
That fall, Brigham Young requested Stowell move his family to help establish the Mormon colony in Fillmore, Utah.
Stowell moved his family to Fillmore before winter set in in 1853, and he began to assist building the new territorial statehouse for Utah as well as continued service in the militia.
In response to the approach of the U.S. army, the militia was organized as the Nauvoo Legion under Lieutenant General Daniel H. Wells and commanded by Major Joseph Taylor.
Stowell was appointed adjutant to Major Taylor's battalion of infantry and on October 2, 1857, they marched for Echo Canyon, which is near Fort Bridger in present-day Wyoming.
Stowell, being Major Joseph Taylor's adjutant, had the duty of carrying correspondence and letters to deliver to various command posts further up the line.
The reports by Stowell and Taylor created indecisiveness in army commanders who ultimately decided to halt their advance west until they could consult with Col. Albert Sidney Johnston who did not arrive until November 4, 1857.
The decision to wait proved to be disastrous when a series of calamities befell the troops, including frost-bite, heavy snow, and the death of many of the supply animals as winter set in.
On November 26, 1857, Brigham Young wrote letter to Colonel Johnston at Fort Bridger inquiring of the prisoners and stating of William "....if you imagine that keeping, mistreating or killing Mr. Stowell will resound to your advantage, future experience may add to the stock of your better judgment.
Eckels convened a grand jury on December 30, which indicted twenty Mormons for high treason, including Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Daniel H. Wells, John Taylor, George D. Grant, Lot Smith, Orrin Porter Rockwell, William A. Hickman, Albert Carrington, Joseph Taylor, Robert Burton, James Ferguson, Ephraim Hanks and Stowell, among others.
[11] On January 5, 1858, Justice Eckels held a court proceeding where Stowell was arraigned in person on behalf of all of the defendants on charges of high treason.
[1] Thomas L. Kane traveled by steamer from New York to California, then by overland trail to Utah to help negotiate a peace agreement between the United States and Mormon leaders.
[15] Governor Cumming arrived back to Camp Scott in the third week of May to retrieve his belongings and begin preparations for his family to travel to the Salt Lake valley.
[4] At the end of May, Major Benjamin McCulloch of Texas and Kentucky senator-elect Lazarus W. Powell arrived at Camp Scott as peace commissioners with a proclamation of general pardon from President Buchanan.
William arrived in Payson, UT on June 10, 1858, where his family had moved during the exodus to Ogden and Salt Lake in anticipation of the army.
In 1882, the Edmund's anti-bigamy act was signed into law, giving previous statutes resources to pursue Latter-Day Saints for unlawful cohabitation.
