Chronological Biography of Don Carlos (called Carl) Shirts -- collected by Gary Young


1836: Carl Shirts was born on 29 Jul 1836 in Kirtland, Geauga County Ohio to Peter & Margaret Cameron Shirts. He was blessed and named Don Carlos by the prophet Joseph Smith (Escalante ward record, FHL films 25924, 25, and 26). Peter and his wife Margaret were among those who disagreed with the actions of the anti-Mormon mobs of the time. They began accepted the teachings of the Church and were baptized by Brigham Young’s brother, Lorenzo Dow Young on 15 August 1832. The Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young by James Amasa Little, gave the date as 1833, but Morris Shirts who had researched the subject in depth wrote, "Sick and discouraged, Lorenzo Young and his family arrived at Beardstown Ohio in fhe fall of 1832. The local residents, upon visiting them, learned they were Mormons, and gathered at the riverside to hear them preach from their boat. This would have included Peter & Margaret Shirts, whose home was just up the river bank a few yards Peter & Margaret were converted and baptized there, at the foot of Jefferson Street in the Ohio River, a fact that caused a great argument with Peter's family. An argument so bitter that Peter and Margaret never saw the family again. This argument, plus the strong desire of Peter and Margaret to see Joseph Smith, prompted them to sell their chice property in East Liverpool after owning it for only a short time." They moved to Kirtland Ohio where the Prophet was living. Peter began working on the Temple, building by day and watching on its walls by night to protect them from the mobs.

1837: As the Church grew in numbers, the forces working against it became more vigorous. Early in the year 1837, a bank was formed called the ‘Kirtland Safety Bank,’ among whose officers were the authorities of the Church. Peter Shirts was among the first members and signers (FHL book 977.133/K1/K2p, page 122). It was only a short time after this that a wave of depression spread over the nation. During the months of March and April, business failures in New York alone passed one hundred million dollars. The Kirtland institution failed along with others, and some of the members who could not withstand the test, lost their faith along with their money. Peter lost his money but remained with the church. Adding to this was the mobbing and the increasing destruction of property by bands of bigoted anti-Mormons. The Prophet could find no peace, and on 12 January 1838, accompanied by Sidney Rigdon, he left for Missouri, never again to return to Kirtland, where so large and important a part of his work had been done.

1838: Life was no easier in Missouri where angry mobs continually rode through the Mormon communities, determined to wage “a war of extermination.” They burned fields and farms, robbed and whipped the people. When a group of peaceful, non-Mormon citizens appealed to the cowardly Missouri governor Boggs, he is reported to have replied, “The quarrel is between the Mormons and the mob, and they can fight it out.” But when the Mormons tried to defend themselves, the governor used it as an excuse to issue an inhumane and illegal order of extermination: “The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state if necessary for the public peace.” Spurred on by this announcement, a mob-militia approached the town of Far West on 31 October 1838 and arrested Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and Lyman Wight. A court-martial was held that night, and the prisoners were sentenced to be shot at sunrise in the public square. General A.W. Doniphan was ordered to carry out the execution. To this order Doniphan indignantly replied, “It is cold-blooded murder. I will not obey your order. My brigade shall march.... tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock; and if you execute these men, I will hold you responsible before an earthy tribunal, so help me God!” Doniphan was never called to account for his insubordination that saved the Prophet’s life. Instead, the Church leaders were thrown into a cramped dark jail for more than five months. The Peter & Margaret Shirts family was living in St Louis Missouri during this time.

Greatly outnumbered and denied any semblance of legal protection, fifteen thousand members of the Church including the Shirts family fled their Missouri homes and property then valued at a million and a half dollars. Through the winter of 1838-39 they painfully made their way back toward Ohio and Illinois, not knowing where else to go. Many died from exposure or from illness aggravated by it. Joseph Smith was in prison, and Brigham Young, a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles directed this sorrowful migration, which was to prove to be the forerunner to a yet more tragic movement a scant eight years later, and of which he was to serve as leader. The people of Quincy, received the Mormon refugees with kindness. However, it became quickly apparent to Brigham Young and others that some provision must be made for the settlement of this large group of exiles so that they might again undertake productive enterprise.

1839: On 22 April 1839, Joseph Smith and those who had been imprisoned with him in Missouri arrived in Quincy. Their guards had let them go, and they made their way to the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. The following day a conference was called by the Prophet, and a committee was detailed to investigate the purchase of lands. The principal location was the site of Commerce Illinois, about forty-five miles north of Quincy. At this point the river makes a broad bend, giving the land on its east bank the appearance of a promontory. At the time of the purchase, one stone house, three frame houses, and two blockhouses constituted the village. It was an unhealthy place, so wet that a man had difficulty walking across most of it, and teams became mired to their hips. Of the place and its purchase the Prophet later said, “Commerce was unhealthful, very few could live there; but believing that it might become a healthy place by the blessing of heaven to the Saints, and no more eligible place presenting itself, I considered it wisdom to make an attempt to build up a city.” The Prophet’s faith in the future of this site is evident from the name he gave it -- Nauvoo, derived from the Hebrew and meaning “the beautiful location.” The swamps were drained, and a city was platted with streets crossing at right angles. But the work of building moved slowly. The people were prostrate, exhausted from the trials through which they had passed. Their energies were depleted, and they became easy victims of malaria. Of course, they had no idea in those days that mosquitoes carried the parasite. They only knew they were very ill.

On the morning of 22 July 1839, Joseph, who was sick himself, looked about him only to see others sick. The house in which he lived was crowded with them, and tents sheltering other invalids stood in his dooryard. Wilford Woodruff recounts the events which followed the Prophet’s appraisal of this discouraging situation, “He called upon the Lord in prayer, the power of God rested upon him mightily, and as Jesus healed all the sick around Him in His day, so Joseph, the Prophet of God, healed all around on this occasion. He healed all in his house and dooryard; then, in company with Sidney Rigdon and several of the Twelve, went among the sick lying on the bank of the river, where he commanded them in a loud voice, in the name of Jesus Christ, to rise and be made whole, and they were all healed. When he had healed all on the east side of the river that were sick, he and his companions crossed the Mississippi River in a ferry boat to the west side....The first house they went into was President Brigham Young’s. He was sick on his bed at the time. The Prophet went into his house and healed him, and they all came out together. As they were passing by my door, Brother Joseph said, ‘Brother Woodruff, follow me’. These were the only words spoken by any of the company from the time they left Brother Brigham’s house till they crossed the public square, and entered Brother Fordham’s house. Brother Fordham had been dying for an hour, and we expected any minute would be his last. I felt the spirit of God that was overpowering his Prophet. When we entered the house, Brother Joseph walked up to Brother Fordham and took him by his right hand, his left hand holding his hat. He saw that Brother Fordham’s eyes were glazed, and that he was speechless and unconscious. After taking his hand, he looked down into the dying man’s face and said, ‘Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?’ ‘I do, Brother Joseph,’ was the response. Then the Prophet of God spoke with a loud voice, as in the majesty of Jehovah, ‘Elijah, I command you, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to rise and be made whole’. The words of the Prophet were not like the words of man, but like the voice of God. It seemed to me that the house shook on its foundation. Elijah Fordham leaped from his bed... He then put on his hat and followed us into the street, to visit others who were sick.” Elijah Fordham lived forty-one years after this experience.

1842: Carl Shirts was six years old when the family moved to Nauvoo. The census of Nauvoo Illinois, 1st ward (FHL fiche 6101611; Early Mormon Record Series Nauvoo) listed, PETER SHIRTS; wife MARGARET SHIRTS; children over 8 GEORGE SHIRTS; children under 8 DERIOUS SHIRTS, MARONI SHIRTS, CARLOS SHIRTS, SARIAH SHIRTS, BASSI SHIRTS (dead).

To provide facilities for what were considered to be sacred ordinances, the Prophet began to erect a second temple. On 6 April 1841 ten thousand members of the Church assembled for the laying of the cornerstones of this structure. Peter Shirts again worked on the temple as he had in Kirtland, and participated with the experiences of the church members in Nauvoo. By November 8 the baptismal font was completed, and by 30 October 1842, the building had progressed sufficiently to permit the holding of meetings in some rooms. Carl's father used his metal smithing skills to fashion the Keys for the Nauvoo Temple (Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 20, p.405).

1843: An English writer described the Mormon community in an article which was widely published in 1843: "The city is of great dimensions, laid out in beautiful order; the streets are wide, and cross each other at right angles, which will add greatly to its order and magnificence when finished. The city rises on a gentle incline from the rolling Mississippi, and as you stand near the river, you may gaze on the picturesque scenery around; at your side is the temple, the wonder of the world; round about, and beneath, you may behold handsome stores, large mansions, and fine cottages, interspersed with varied scenery....Peace and harmony reign in the city. The drunkard is scarcely even seen, as in other cities, neither does the awful imprecation or profane oath strike upon you ear; but, while all is storm, and tempest, and confusion abroad respecting the Mormons, all is peace and harmony at home"

1844: Members of the church were hoping things would get better. But despite the admiration of the more astute, the fire of hatred which had been fanned so long, now burst into fury. Rumors flew throughout western Illinois. The Prophet’s enemies reached Governor Thomas Ford with exaggerated stories, and the governor requested that Joseph and Hyrum meet him in Carthage Illinois, where feeling against the Smiths was particularly strong He added, “I will guarantee the safety of all such persons as may be brought to this place from Nauvoo either for trial or as witnesses for the accused.” Though he had been arrested and acquitted thirty-seven times, the last entry in the Joseph Smith’s journal reads: “I told Stephen Markham that if I and Hyrum were ever taken again we should be massacred, or I was not a prophet of God.” He thought of escaping to the West, but some of those close to him advised him to go to Carthage and stand trial. To his brother, he said, "We shall be butchered". Nevertheless, on the morning of 24 June 1844, the Prophet and his brother Hyrum who was always by his side, Dr. Willard Richards, and John Taylor set out for Carthage. Pausing near the temple, they looked at the magnificent building and then at the city, which only five years previous had been little more than swamp land. To the group with him Joseph said, "This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them." Further on he made another significant remark: "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me -- he was murdered in cold blood."

When they arrived in Carthage they were arrested on a charge of treason and committed to jail on a false order. When the illegality of this action was protested to Governor Ford, he replied that he did not think it his duty to interfere, as they were in the hands of the law. He thereupon turned the matter over to the local magistrate, who happened to be one of the leaders of the mob, and suggested that he use the Carthage Greys to enforce the incarceration. On 27 June 1844 Joseph wrote to his wife, “I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing I am justified, and have done the best that could be done. Give my love to the children...and all who inquire after me... May God bless you all.” The letter was sent with visitors who left at one-thirty in the afternoon. As the day wore on, a feeling of depression came over the group and the Prophet requested that John Taylor who had a beautiful baritone voice sing the song, “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief,” a song about the Savior, which had been popular in Nauvoo. Not long after the song was finished, one of the men wrote, “There was a little rustling at the outer door of the jail, and a cry of surrender, and also a discharge of three or four firearms followed instantly. The doctor glanced an eye by the window, and saw about a hundred armed men around the door.... The mob encircled the building, and some of them rushed by the guard up the flight of stairs, burst open the door, and began the work of death.”

Hyrum was struck first. He fell to the floor exclaiming, "I am a dead man". Joseph ran to him, exclaiming, “Oh dear brother Hyrum”. Then John Taylor was hit, and he fell to the floor seriously wounded. Fortunately, however, the impact of one ball was broken by the watch in his vest pocket. This saved his life. With bullets bursting through the door, Joseph sprang to the window in an effort to draw fire away from his friends. Three balls struck him almost simultaneously, two coming from the door and one from the window. Dying, he fell from the open window, exclaiming, “Oh Lord, my God”! Because of Joseph’s heroic effort, Dr. Richards escaped without injury, but the Church had lost its Prophet and his brother, the Patriarch. The deed was completed in a matter of seconds. When news of their murder reached Nauvoo, the Shirts family joined with all the Church in shock and mourning. A pall of gloom settled over the city. The next day the bodies of the dead were taken to Nauvoo. Thousands lined the streets as the cortege passed. The brothers were buried on the following day.

The mobocrats had thought that in killing Joseph Smith they had killed Mormonism. But in so doing they had understood neither the character of the people nor the organization of the Church. Joseph had bestowed the keys of authority upon the Apostles, with Brigham Young at their head, and the people sustained them in this capacity. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, the progress of Nauvoo including temple work continued. On 11 August 1844 Peter Shirts was baptized vicariously in the partially finished temple for his dead brother John Shirts, and sister Martha Queen who had died (Martha married Eliza Queen 31 Mar 1825), also for his late cousin George Grimm. He was ordained a member of the 10th Quorum of Seventy on 8 Oct 1844 and received a patriarchal blessing.

1845: When Carl was 11 years old, Dr. Willard Richards proposed the organization of a fishing company to help to supply the city of Nauvoo with food. The Journal History of the Church (Vol.7, Ch.15, p.186) states that on "Sunday 15, 1845, Elders Parley P. Pratt, Willard Richards, W. W Phelps and the bishops, with many brethren, assembled to organize a company of fishermen to supply the city with fish; twenty-eight volunteered, with eight boats and skiffs. Isaac Higbee was appointed president, John S. Higbee and PETER SHIRTS counselors." Peter received another blessing and was made an officer in the Nauvoo Legion (Pioneers & Prominent Men of Utah).

It became increasingly clear that there would be no peace for the Mormons in Illinois. Depredations against property began again. Fields of grain were burned, livestock was driven off, and houses on the outskirts of the city were destroyed. Under these circumstances, Brigham Young and other leaders of the Church determined to seek out a place where the Saints could live in peace, unmolested by mobs and prejudiced politicians. Joseph Smith had uttered a remarkable prophecy in 1842 at a time when they were enjoying peace in Nauvoo. He had said, “that the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction and would be driven to the Rocky Mountains, many would apostatize, others would be put to death by our persecutors or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease, and some of you will live to go and assist in making settlements and build cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.”

1846: Carl's father continued working on the Nauvoo Temple and using his metal-working skills he fashioned the key & lock to the door (Our Pioneer Heritage, pp 405-6). Margaret Shirts received her temple endowment 21 Jan 1846, and Peter followed 23 Jan 1846, they they were sealed together as husband & wife on the same day (FHL film 183374, p. 495).

Constantly badgered by threats and mob force, the Church continued making preparations to leave their fair city and go forth into the wilderness to find a place where they might finally be able to worship God according to the dictates of their consciences There in the vastness of the West, lay their hope for peace. Peter and Margaret Shirts left with most of the religious refugees in February. Peter used an old cow and an ox for a team. This great exodus stands as one of the epic events in the pioneer history of the United States. In severe winter weather, they crossed the Mississippi River on the ice, their wagons loaded with the few possessions they could take with them. Behind them were the homes they had constructed from the swamps of Commerce during the seven years they had been permitted to live in Illinois. Before them was the wilderness, largely unknown and uncharted. Because this march was much like the leaving of the Israelites from their homes in Egypt to a promised land they had not seen, the Mormons named their movement "The Camp of Israel.”

Upon reaching the Iowa side of the Mississippi River, they were organized into companies of hundreds, and standards of conduct were set up. The companies were subdivided into fifties and tens, with officers over each group. Brigham Young was sustained as “president over the whole Camp of Israel”. They traveled in a northwesterly direction, over the territory of Iowa, through a sparsely-settled region between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In the early days of their movement, snow lay on the ground to a depth of six or eight inches, and their canvas wagon covers offered little protection against the cold north winds. With the coming of spring, the snow melted, making travel even more difficult. There were no roads in the direction the Saints traveled; they had to build their own. At times the mud was so deep that three yoke of oxen were required to pull a load of five hundred pounds. Exhausted by a day of pushing and pulling, chopping wood for bridges, loading and unloading wagons, the travelers would find they had moved only a half dozen miles. Sleet and rain made their camps veritable quagmires. Exposure to such conditions, together with improper nourishment, took a heavy toll of life. Peter and Margaret Shirts suffered with the rest but were thankful that their children were all right. George was 13, Darius 12, Moroni 11, Don Carlos 10, and Sariah Jane 8 years old. Peter traded some of their meager possessions to obtain food for his family. This spirit of mutual cooperation characterized the entire movement. Without this, the migration of twenty thousand people through the wilderness would have ended in disaster.

Paradoxially, Colonel Thomas L. Kane, who became a friend of the Mormons, visited Nauvoo in the fall of 1846 after most had left, wrote: “Ascending the upper Mississippi in the Autumn, when its waters were low, I was compelled to travel by land past the region of the Rapids... My eye wearied to see everywhere sordid, vagabond and idle settlers, a country marred, without being improved, by their careless hands. I was descending the last hillside upon my journey, when a landscape in delightful contrast broke upon my view. Half encircled by a bend of the river, a beautiful city lay glittering in the fresh morning sun; its bright, new dwellings, set in cool green gardens, ranging up around a stately dome-shaped hill, which was covered by a noble marble edifice, whose high tapering spire was radiant with white and gold. The city appeared to cover several miles; and beyond it, in the background, there rolled off a fair country, chequered by the careful lines of fruitful husbandry. The unmistakable marks of industry, enterprise and educated wealth everywhere, made the scene one of singular and most striking beauty.”

1847: Carl's father had been called by Brigham Young to be an advance scout and guard for the people, a position he would hold until his death many years later. It was apparent to Brigham Young and the other leaders of the Church that it would be unwise to attempt to reach the Rocky Mountains in the year 1846. Accordingly, a temporary settlement was established along the Missouri River. The site, adjoining the present city of Omaha, soon had more of the appearance of a town than a camp. Many of the people got along with dugouts and other crude shelters. However, a thousand sturdy log houses were erected before January 1847. During all that winter, feverish activity went on. Anvils rang with the making and repairing of wagons. Available maps and reports were carefully studied, and every preparation possible was undertaken to ensure the success of the move to the Great Basin.

On 14 January 1847, Brigham Young received a revelation from the Lord relative to the Saints’ westward journey (D&C 136). All things were to be done in an orderly fashion and with pre-planning. The Lord commanded the Saints to provide for themselves food, clothing provisions, teams wagons, and other necessities. They would be organized into companies of hundreds, fifties, and tens. Not all would leave at the same time. The captains and presidents were to decide how many would go west the next spring. Each company received its share of responsibilities to bear the burden of the poor, the widows, the fatherless and the families of those men who had enlisted in the army. The Lord gave the Saints rules of conduct, commanded them not to fear their enemies, and told them that he would prove them in all things.

The Shirts family moved out into the countryside to live until they could earn enough money to make the remainder of the journey to Utah. Along with some of the other families, they moved to an area eighteen miles north of Council Bluffs. There on 4 Jun 1848, they established a branch of the church called Shirtses Branch (FHL Film # 0001923). Thomas Smith was sustained as the branch president with Peter Shirts as his first counselor, William Niswanger as second counselor and Willis Boren as clerk. Peter and Margaret’s last child was born here in 1848. The original record lists the following members of the family: PETER SHIRTS (adult), MARGARET SHIRTS (adult), GEORGE SHIRTS (child over 8), DERIUS SHIRTS (child over 8), DON CARLOS SHIRTS (child over 8), SARIAH SHIRTS (child over 8). It is not known why Elizabeth Ann was not listed with the rest of the family in the Shirtses Branch record book.

1850: When Carl was 14 years old, his family joined with the Benjamin Hawkins Pioneer Company of 1850 to cross the Great Plains to Utah. The company consisted of about 100 wagons, which was organized into two groups of 50 with a leader over each, and these were again divided into groups of ten wagons. Peter Shirts was assigned to be the captain of the first 10. He was to watch over the people in the group and help them with their needs. In addition, he was assigned to be guide and hunter to help provide fresh meat for the families. Samuel Kendall Gifford (lds.org, pioneer index,searching) wrote in his reminiscences of 1864 that "We were organized into Brother [Benjamin] Hawkins’ hundred, Thomas Johnson’s fifty. My team consisted of one yoke of oxen, one yoke of three year old steers and one yoke of cows. The Cholera also commenced it work in camp and soon we burried a gentile that died of the Cholera and then Peter Shirts’ wife died. Then Captain Thomas Johnson called the camp together and said 'If you will do as I tell you with regard to the water that you use for drinking I will promise you that there shall not more than five die in this camp with the Cholera. All believed what he said and did accordingly and the strange promise was literally fulfilled, for just five and no more died.... The Platte water being muddy, there had been wells dug all along the Platte bottom to get clear water. The wells were about six feet deep with steps dug to get to the water. The council was this, “To not go near those wells for water but get their water out of the river and drink none without boiling and to fill their churns, teakettles, and everything that they had that would hold water with boiled water to use while traveling. There was in the camp a kind of a fearful looking for the Small pox, as quite a number had been exposed, but no one had it. The Lord had respects to the words of his servant and preserved the camp from farther sickness and death." "One day Peter Shurtz [Shirts] and a man by the name of Harns who has since been Bishop of Gunnison went up into the Black Hills some ten or twelve miles and killed a buffaloe and some antilope. And some others took two wheels of a wagon and made a cart of it and went after the meat."

There has been some confusion among family members, concerning the year that the Shirts family crossed the plains. Some, including Ambrose Shurtz thought it was 1849. He describe the death of his grandmother, Margaret Cameron Shirts, as follows: "It was while on the way that Grandmother Shirts died. My father [Carl] had tears in his eyes when he told me. As Grandfather followed the pioneer trail along the banks of the Platte River, on the north side, the exact date is not told, but my father told me that grandfather was faced with the death of his wife. Margaret died, so he took the top box off his wagon and out of it he made a crude box. He went to a trunk and got a linen sheet and wrapped her dead body in it, then a grave was dug and into it the box containing her body was sadly lowered, thus came the death of Margaret Cameron Shirts. This was indeed a very sad occasion. My father was then 14 years old at the time. But with faith and courage they journeyed on till they arrived in Salt Lake 10 October 1849 [1850]."

Scots-Irishman William McDonald knew the correct year. He traveled to Utah in the same pioneer company and later married two of Carl Shirts sisters and raised a large family in Heber City Utah. The following is a description of the trip in William McDonald's own colorful language and spelling (Our Pioneer Heritage; DUP): " The Next Thing to Do Was to Fit up the Wagons and Gether With the Company to orginize to Cross the Pleans. Camped at the gathering Place until We got 50 Wagons. That Was in the Spring of 1850. Us boys Engoyed the Wild Countrey and the Wild game Whitch Were in abondance on the Pleans. the Buffilo Were So thick and Went in Sutch Large Hirds We had to Stop the Trein and Corell the Wagons untill Sum of the Large Hirds Pased. in traviling We Were Strung out on the trail Haf a Mile long. i Was 16 years old When We Crosed the Plains and Was Numbered With the Gard and took My turn With the older Men. I Rember We Had to call the Our and all is Well Every our. When it came to that part of it i think there never Was a young Rouster larning to Crow Felt Prouder than i Did. That was My First Military Servis Whitch Was Continued Mor or less in Setteling this Country utah and sorounding Country. We Had No Trouble With Indians Crosing the Plains But We Kept ourselves in Redinerse Coralled the Wagons Every Night and kept our pouder Drie. Prepared for the Worst But all Went Well untill the Colary Broke out in Camp. that Proved to be verey Fatle. Evere one that took it died. My Father Helped to Buiry a Man one Morning and took Sick after the train Started and Died that Night. We Came to the Plat River that Day in the Afternoon and Part of the Train Had crosed the River. Father being very Bad We asked Him if We shoud Cross the River With Him. He Said yes So He Died that Night on this Side of the Plat River. That Was the Gratest triel We Ever Had in Our Family ... So Sudent on the Dreary Plains of America and Burried without a coffin. But We Had Sum Large Boxis along Whiche We Broke up and Dug a Deep grave With a volt at the Bottom Large enouf for the Body and Covered it Securley With the lumber of Those Boxes Whitch We thought Would Prevent Wolves from Diging up the Body For We Had Passed Sum graves that Had Been Buried in Hast that the Wolves Had Dug up. When We had traveled about two thirds of the Way to salt Lake our Cattle Had lost their shows Sum and Began to get Lame and the Captain called a Halt to Best the Teams and Show those that were lame and tender lured. Stoped at a Place they called Deer Creek. Stayed there Two Weeks. Had plenty of good Meat to Eat While there. i Remember one Night one of the Hunters Dident com in untill about Midnight, His Name was Peter Shirts. The people thought He had got lost or Was Taken by indians. We Built Fires all around Camp and Fired guns and about Midnight Peter Came in With the Hind quarters of a large Deer on His Shoulders. We got to Salt Lake about the last of September."

Nancy Naomi Alexander Tracy wrote a most excellent description of the journey in her reminiscences and diary, May 1896-July 1899, "As I said, we stayed in this place [Winter Quarters] for three years. The third year we began to make preparations to go on our journey... So all being ready, we started out, crossed the Missouri River, and went into camp to wait for the company to be organized. One brother Hawkins was chosen to be captain over 100 wagons, and then a captain was chosen over each of the two fifties’ and one over each 10 wagons. Thomas Johnston [Johnson] was over our fifty and my husband was captain over the second ten they organized. In this manner we rolled out. There had been a general rally this year for the great Salt Lake... There began to be considerable sickness in camp and some deaths. Peter Shirts, captain of the first ten, had to bury his wife by the wayside. Abram Durphy [Durfee] buried one of his children, and there were others who died... There were two emigrants traveling with us bound for California. One of them came down with small pox and died, but there were such precautions taken that no one else took it. However, the whole camp was vaccinated, and some were quite sick. I was, myself... Well, those were very long and toilsome days. Still we plodded on until they had to stop for rest. The cattle were giving out and becoming footsore and had to be shod. So we stopped in the country of the black hills for twelve days. There was water and plenty of timber, but previously to this, they sometimes had to tie up the cattle at night without feed or water. But here there was good feed and water and the poor animals surely needed it for they were about worn out. My two cows had given milk all the way and worked in the yoke besides, and so when there was no other alternative, we could drink their milk. But they were failing in this now. So we camped and overhauled and cleaned up generally while the men were busy shoeing the cattle and making tar out of the fat pines for the wagons for pine trees were abundant. When they got through with all this, they spent the time hunting until we were ready again to move on. They killed elk and deer; so we had meat. But O the wolves! At night they made the air hideous with their howling. Of course, we always kept a guard at night ever since we started, and this was telling on the men. Many a time when my husband was on guard along the Platte River, I have gone out with some noursihment even if it were nothing but a hot potato... The travel became slower and more fatiguing. At last we got to the crossing of the Green River. The river ran on very swift and looked angry and deep. The first ten drove in. There was one Brother Gifford who held on to his ox bow till he lost his hold and went down. He could not swim but one of the Brethren went to his rescue and brought him out more dead than alive but he was brought around after a while. The rest got across safely and moved on toward the mountains that we were now approaching. In a few days, we began to raise the heights of the big mountain and reached the summit. When we did reach the top, we were struck with amazement as we gazed at the valley below, the long sought for place of rest. O how beautiful and grand the valley, dotted with dwellings and with the Great Salt Lake sparkling in the sunlight, appeared. We feasted our eyes upon the scene. It looked like paradise after three months of toil through the hot summer. We were about to reap the reward of our labors. We had found a place of rest far away from our enemies and those that had persecuted us and shed the blood of the Saints and prophets of the most high Here we could live and worship God and keep his commandments. Will they let us alone now or will they follow us? Time alone will tell. On the 12th day of September, 1850, we came down into Salt Lake City."

1851: From the book "Our Pioneer Heritage," pp 137-9, Pioneer Forts of the West; NOTE: "Among the first settlers of Parowan, Iorn Co Utah, who first came out with George A. Smith in 1850 or 1851, was Peter Shirts. Apostle Smith, as leader of the area settlers was very interested in discovering coal, and gave special inducements to the brethren who would prospect for it. Captain Shirts, who found the mineral on Coal Creek near the present site of Cedar City, Iron Co Utah, reported his find and asked for the privilege of locating on the creek south of Coal Creek. 'You shall have it,' was the willing reply; thereafter the creek was called 'Shirts Creek.' He built a log house which was referred to thereafter as Shirts Fort. Corn and vegetables were planted, and about one-fourth mile below the present Hamilton's Fort, Mr Shirts mined salt. He lived alone in the fort for one year, and in the fall of 1852 pioneer Shirts offered John Hamilton, a very dear friend, half the creek if he would settle there. Hamilton accepted the offer, and in the spring of 1853 moved his family from Parowan to Shirts' Creek. A road was built in the canyon and poles for fencing material were hauled to the newly erected sawmill. The two men fenced their farm that summer. A frenchman by the name of Peter Falangue, a non-Mormon, located on a branch of Shirts Creek two miles southeast of Hamilton's. He took up thirty acres of land and built a cabin, but only remained there one year. On 8 Dec 1852, George A Smith wrote the following to the Deseret News, 'Six miles south of Cedar is a fort called Walker, containing three families with nine men capable of bearing arms. Mr Shirts is making salt there.' In May 1853, he also wrote, 'John Hamilton Sr gave W.H. Hall, military commander and company, a hospitable reception at Shirts Fort.' Later Peter sold his share of the land to John Hamilton and Peter Fife. Peter Fife's home had biblical inscriptions carved on the outside stone walls and in the slats above the doors and windows. Above the door the words 'Holiness to the Lord' were written, and an 'All-Seeing Eye' and many other inscriptions and mottos were included on the walls. In July 1853, the families who had located at Shirts Creek were advised to return to Cedar City because of the Walker Indian troubles. In the spring of 1854, John Hamilton and Peter Fife returned to the creek, which had been vacated since 1853, and built a small adobe fort. The enclosure included about one fourth acre of land, and the house formed aprt of the walls. Jonathan Pugmire, Samuel White and others located with Hamilton and Fife. No presiding elder was appointed for a number of years, as some of those who settled on the creek were only temporary residents. Later, for a number of years, only two families lived at Shirts Creek. In 1857, the present location of Hamilton's Fort was selected. George A. Smith laid out the area, suggested the name of Hamilton's Fort in honor of John Hamilton. A fort ninety-six feet square was erected and Brother Smith advised the people to move to the new location. He also urged the old settlers to divide the water equally, thus providing sufficient land and water to sustain a dozen families. The new location placed the settlement at the main road of travel between Cedar City and St George, Washington Co Utah."

The Iron County Utah census taken in 1851, page 14; listed: "PETER SHIRTS, age 42, occupation fisherman, no wealth, born Ohio; GEORGE SHIRTS, age 19, born Ohio; KING DARIAS SHIRTS, age 18, born Ohio; DON CORLAS SHIRTS, age 16, born Ohio; SARIAH JANE SHIRTS, age 12, born Ohio; ELIZABETH ANN SHIRTS, age 2, born Ohio."

1852: The following is found in the book "Our Pioneer Heritage," pp 137-9, Pioneer Forts of the West; NOTE: "Among the first settlers of Parowan, Iron Co Utah, who first came out with George A. Smith in 1850 or 1851, was PETER SHIRTS. Apostle Smith, as leader of the area settlers was very interested in discovering coal, and gave special inducements to the brethren who would prospect for it. Captain Shirts, who found the mineral on Coal Creek near the present site of Cedar City, Iron Co Utah, reported his find and asked for the privilege of locating on the creek south of Coal Creek. 'You shall have it,' was the willing reply; thereafter the creek was called 'Shirts Creek.' He built a log house and planted corn, vegetables and mined salt about one-fourth mile below present-day Hamilton Fort. He lived there alone with his family for one year, and in the fall of 1852 he offered John Hamilton, a very dear friend, half the creek if he would settle there. Hamilton accepted the offer, and in the spring of 1853 moved his family from Parowan to Shirts' Creek. A road was built into the canyon and poles for fencing material were hauled to the newly erected sawmill. The two men fenced their farm that summer. A frenchman by the name of Peter Falangue, a non-Mormon, located on a branch of Shirts Creek two miles southeast of Hamilton's. He took up thirty acres of land and built a cabin, but only remained there one year.

The settler's journals record numerous confrontations with Indians during the spring and summer of 1852. On 12 March, James Whittaker reported that a "dozen men on horseback well armed" went to the encampment of Peter Shirts on Shirts Creek to bring him and his family back to the fort in Cedar City because word of a disturbance involving paiutes had reached Cedar City. They found Peter absent on a visit to Parowan but his family returned to Cedar City with their "rescuers." Whittaker's entry for 16 March records the outcome: "Br Shirts came from Parowan last night, said that the Indians had shot an ox with 5 arrows, belonging to Bishop ?robinson, and they were oblidged to kill it. Also said that some of the Pihedes [Paiutes] had told the Brethren at Parowan that there were but four Pihede Indians that were mad and would Kill the Cattle, all the rest were friendly. He said that a Co of the Brethren intended to go out on horse back to day in pursuit of the Indians. Br Shirts went back with his family to his new farm (James Whittaker journal)." In early September of 1852 Peter Shirts had a pig roasting party at his home on Shirts' Creek and invited several of his friends to attend (Henry Lunt diary).

Evidently the name of the fort on Shirts' Creek was changed to Walker for a short period of time because on 8 Dec 1852, George A. Smith wrote the following to the Deseret News, 'Six miles south of Cedar is a fort called Walker, containing three families with nine men capable of bearing arms. Mr Shirts is making salt there.' In May 1853, he also wrote, 'John Hamilton Sr gave W.H. Hall, military commander and company, a hospitable reception at Shirts Fort.' Later Peter sold his share of the land to John Hamilton and Peter Fife. Peter Fife's home had biblical inscriptions carved on the outside stone walls and in the slats above the doors and windows. Above the door the words 'Holiness to the Lord' were written, and an 'All-Seeing Eye' and many other inscriptions and mottos were included on the walls.

According to the Daughters of Utah Pioneer History of Washington County (Under Dixie Sun, p 127), NOTE: "Sometime in the fall of 1852, John D. Lee and several others located on Ash Creek, about twenty-five miles south of Cedar City, at a place they called Harmony. John D. Lee wrote to Brigham Young, March 6, 1853, describing the progress as satisfactory. 'I have built six houses for my family, besides helping on every other building in the fort. In the month of January in company with Peter Schurtz, I rode over to the Rio Virgin country (or Warm Valley as the Indians call it); we found the climate mild and warm.'" In company with John D. Lee, Carl's father had explored the Rio Virgin area now known as Washington County Utah, and then on 1 Nov 1852, he found another iron deposit near Cedar City (Franklin D. Richards journal).

Soon after Smith's report on the southern settlements, Brigham Young organized a group of men to go on an Indian mission to the area. John D. Lee was named Mission President and was instructed to build an adobe fort in the Harmony settlement which was designated as the 'mission home'. Peter Shirts and his sons became part of the group and they began going forth to proselytize among the Indian tribes. Carl and his brothers learned the Indian dialects so well that it was said they spoke the language better than the Indians did themselves.

1855: Bishops in those days, were required to report cases of abuse, as they are today, and when the bishop was away, the first counselor was in charge. William Young and Peter Shirts were good friends, but he found it his duty to report Peter when he beat his grown sons (Journal of Thomas Brown -- The official scribe of the southern Indian mission, Thomas D. Brown, wrote a journal, edited by Juanita Brooks, which may be found in the Salt Lake FHL; book 921.73/ B812b): "Friday 30th March [1855] -- In Consequence of a charge against Peter Shirts for abusing his son Darius -- charge laid by William Young, Bishop's Counselor and the Bishop having gone to Great Salt Lake to conference. A trial before the Seventies was counselled -- T.D. Brown presiding. Lorenzo Roundy and J.R. Davies speaking as [witnesses] proved that Peter Shirts had acted unkindly in passion to his son -- the boys being reproved for acts of disobedience. Decision [was made] that Peter Shirts go to Darius and confess to him before his wife and pray with and for him and himself, asking forgiveness. And give his sons Darius and Carlos 10 acres of land each, reserving 18 acres for himself. [Also] that Darius work with and for him till harvest and he sustain him and his wife till then. All satisfied." Family tradition says that Darius wanted to join a secret group of extremist members called the "Danites" and Peter was very much against it. Arguments between the 22-yr-old Darius and his father escalated into the beating.

1856: The Escalante Story, p. 265, says that "Missionaries to the Indians in Arizona and New Mexico in early years include Peter Shirts Sr, Don Carlos Shirts Sr, John Lay, Napoleon B. Roundy, Wallace Roundy, Llewellyn Harris." Meanwhile, there had been some talk in the north of a general movement of reformation in the church. Church leaders made a vigorous call to repentance, to cleansing and soul-searching which would include rebaptism and a renewal of covenants. On Sunday afternoon of 26 Apr 1856, the Harmony ward members were visited by Isaac C. Haight, stake president, and his two counselors, John M. Higbee and Elias Morris. After a meeting in which several men confessed to slothfulness and neglect of duty, Isaac C. Haight rebaptized the following (Journal of Rachael Lee): Bishop William R. Davies (Bishop Davies had become so disgusted with John D. Lee, that he decided not to perform any function of his office except to issue tithing receipts), Henry Barney, Amos G. Thornton, Elisha Groves (patriarch), Rufus C. Allen, John D. Lee, William Young (first counselor to the bishop), Lorenzo W. Roundy and Charles W. Dalton (sheriff).

Throughout the winter of 1856-57, the reformation continued. On 18 Jan 1857, in the evening priesthood meeting, the subject was family relationships (Diary of Rachel Lee): “The men should govern their wives in Love, and their children in Love, and that the time had come that men must not cohabit with their wives out of season but that all must keep the Celestial Law as regards these things... The next week the bishop encouraged people to return the things they had borrowed or taken, that all things in every home that did not belong there should be cleaned out and returned... and he appointed a place to put such lost property in the night that folks was ashamed to bring in the daytime.”

The stake president, Isaac C. Haight, visited the ward again in February where he spoke on the proper form of dating and of marriage. Rachel Lee took the minutes and transcribed his speech: “Sunday morning Feb. 15, 1857. He then explained how the marriage relations aught to be entered into legally, thus.any man that is worthy has to go and aske the Parents of the woman first also his Prest, then aske the woman herself. Again if a man Desires a 2nd or third wife he must first get permission from Prest Brigham Young then proceed and ask the Parents, and then the woman herself, thus is the legal way and only honourable way And again said he thare is no woman having received her Endowments can marry a man that has not received his Endowments; But a man that has received Endowments may marry a woman that has not received her Endowments, thus the matter was plainly set forth. He also said that the Gentile custom of Sparkification was done away so that the passions may not be aroused and undue advantage taken of the chastity of the Daughters of Zion by these pernicious habits &c.”

24 July 1857 marked the tenth anniversary of the entrance of Brigham Young and his pioneers into the valley of the Great Salt Lake, and the entire territory began to celebrate. The people celebrated with town dinners and a program recounted the history of their mobbings and drivings, the martyrdom of their Prophet, the tragic, unsettled years, and the arrival in Salt Lake. But forces had been set afoot in the East and in Salt Lake City which would shape the destiny of everyone, including the family of William Alma Young. For on that same afternoon two weary, travel-worn horsemen had interrupted the celebration at Big Cottonwood Canyon with momentous news for Brigham Young. All mail contracts East had been canceled and a U.S. army was en route to put down the so-called “rebellion in Utah.'“

How prophetic now seemed President Young's statement of just ten years ago: “If our enemies will give us ten years in these valleys, we'll ask no odds of them. We shall never run from them again.” Earlier in the year, the old Nauvoo Legion had been reactivated, with William and Alfred Douglas Young’s old friend, Daniel H. Wells named commander-in-chief. Word now went out declaring that Utah was about to be invaded by a hostile force, and a full muster was called to resist such invasion. The church members were instructed to make no further trades with the wagon trains of gentiles that came through. Nor were they to intermingle with them. War with the United States of America could be a sudden, devastating affair, or a long siege. Yet Brother Brigham had said that “with the help of God, they shall not come here,” and every man was ready to support him.

Public speeches became more and more inflammatory. Private gatherings rehearsed past indignities, and particularly the martyrdom of the Prophet and his brother. Then word came that Parley P. Pratt, their beloved apostle, author of so many of their pamphlets and songs, had been stabbed to death in Arkansas while performing missionary labors. George A. Smith brought the word to the southern settlements, and everywhere he went he spoke in terms of repulsing the approaching army, of defending their homes and firesides, protecting their wives and children against such persecutions as many had suffered before. When he reached Parowan, he found the militia already out on the public square drilling, and making preparation to strike in any direction. At Cedar City also he found the battalion on parade eagerly awaiting direction for action.

On 23 Aug 1857, William H. Dame made a report of the Iron military district with nine units, the total arms and ammunition being 99 muskets, 190 rifles, 17 colt's revolvers, 192 and 3/4 pounds of powder, 335 pounds of lead, and 24 swords. He closes thus: “The field and Staff officers are not enumerated in this return, but are well armed. The command feel calm, quiet, and willing to act upon any command that may be given and any orders from Head Quarters will be cheerfully obeyed. We can place 200 effective men in the field if necessary. Every effort is being made to secure the grain in every settlement, and your previous orders are being strictly carried out. Every inlet of the District south of Beaver is now being guarded. If a hostile force is found to be approaching us, we shall immediately express to you, and await your further order; unless attacked, in which case we shall act on the defensive, and communicate immediately with you. Wm. H. Dame.”

Carl Shirts married Mary Adeline Lee, daughter of John D. Lee on 23 Aug 1857 in Parowan. He also married his brother George's widow, Elizabeth (Betsy) Williams on the same day. The Escalante Story, p. 392, recorded that "Carl Shurtz married Elizabeth Williams Shurtz, his brother's widow, and Mary Adoline Lee on the same day, August 23, 1857. Carl was away from home a great deal in those days, on various peace-making missions to the Indians, looking for better land, and prospecting for minerals. On June 5, 1859, Mary Adoline gave birth to a baby boy whom she named Don Carlos for his father. Eleven days later [16 Aug 1859] Elizabeth bore a baby boy whom she also named Don Carlos. The boys were not reared together, however, for Mary Adoline had left the household in her husband's absence and did not return."

According to DUP History of Washington County (Under Dixie Sun, p. 268), "In the spring of 1857, Seth Johnson and his brother Nephi, Darius Shurtz and his brother Carl, Anthony J. Stratton, James Bey, Andrew J. Workman, William Haslam and Samuel Bradshaw camped on the LaVerkin Creek and made a road up the great Hurrican Fault so they could explore the upper Virgin River country. One man had to remain in camp to keep the Indians from stealing their food. They were about a month making the road and named it Johnson's Twist." (p. 269), "Darius Schurtz and his brother Carl both helped to build the road over the Hurricand Fault [into Virgin]... They only remained a few years and returned to a small place 6 miles south of Cedar City, later called Hamilton's Fort."

Angus M. Woodbury wrote (A History of Southern Utah and Its National Parks, page 148), those assisting in building the road through Zions Canyon were Carl Shirts and his older brother King Darius Shirts; Anthony Stratton; James Bey; Andrew J. Workman; William Haslam; Samuel Bradshaw; and Seth Johnson. Seth’s brother Nephi Johnson invited families from Cedar City and Fort Harmony to join them in the settlement of the upper lands.

In the fall of 1857, the intense anguish caused by the threat of extinction of all Mormons by the U.S. Government, and impending encroachment of Col Johnson's Army into Utah, climaxed in a terrible tragedy known as the Mountain Meadow Massacre. On 11 Sep 1857, Mormon settlers in southern Utah used a false flag of truce to lull a group of California-bound emigrants from their circled wagons and then kill them. Members of the company had infuriated the settlers by their actions and comments as they traveled through the state. Some had said they "helped kill old Joe Smith," and they would return with troops from California to kill the Mormons, etc. Several books have been written on the subject. The best documented book, Massacre at Mountain Meadows, by Walker, Turley, & Leonard, records on page 262, “Carl Shirts, age 21, Second Lieutenant, Company H, Fourth Platoon, Harmony. At the time a son-in-law of [John D.] Lee. Shirts was sent by him to recruit Paiutes as part of the original plan to attack the emigrants. Shirts also played a role in instructing Paiutes for the final massacre.” P. 401, “Although Shirts appeared to carry out his duty as Indian interpreter and leader, Lee referred to him as ‘cowardly’ and ‘made him suffer for being a coward.’ Shirts’s son Ambrose said that was because Carl gave orders to Indians that were in direct contradiction to the orders given him by Lee. Sometime following the massacre, Mary Adoline Lee divorced Carl Shirts with her father’s help.” The Indians, who in hind sight realized the folly of their actions and the wisdom of Carl Shirts's words, returned to ask him for advice for the rest of his life.

1858: A company known as the "Southern Exploring Company," also known as a part of the "White Mountain Expedition," was organized 25 April 1858 at Iron Springs, about ten miles north west of Cedar City in Iron County Utah, for the purpose of looking for a place of refuge where the Saints could protect themselves in case the soldiers (Johnston's army) who were camped near Fort Bridger for the winter (1857-1858) should enter the vallies with evil intent in the spring. The company, when organized, consisted of 66 persons including 8 High Priests, 10 Seventies, 13 Elders, 1 Priest, 2 Teachers, 5 Deacons, 10 lay members and 3 non members of the church. Colonel Wm H. Dame had been appointed by President Brigham Young to lead the company into the desert, and he called upon others to accompany him. When organized, the company had the following officers: "William H. Dame, president of the company; James H. Martineau, historian; R.R. Rogers, Sergeant of Guard; John W. Christian, Captain of First Ten; George W. Sirrine Capt of Second Ten; Nephi Johnson, Chief Interpreter, and Samuel Sheppard, Chaplain. The following list of the names and the detailed account of the journeyings of the expedition, is copied from the original journal kept by James H. Martineau, the historian of the company: (among others) Charles Willden (deacon), DON CARLOS SHIRTS of Harmony (deacon), Willis Young (34th quorum of Seventy). The brethren were directed to rendezvous at the Iron Spring on Friday 23 Apr 1858. The brethren from Beaver and Parowan started from Parowan on Friday afternoon and camped at Summit Creek, where several of the brethren from Parowan passed the night with them (Pres Calvin C. Pendleton, Bishop Tarlton Lewis and others) spent the evening agreeably.

1859: Rachael Lee recorded in her journal (1857-60, BYU Library typscriptcopy; page 65), that on "30 Mar 1859, The following brethren has sold out here and gone to settle at Vergin City, Viz. H. Barney, Bishop Davis' first councilor, A.G. Ingram, Darius Shirts, and Don Carlos Shirts."

Mary left Carl that year because of her father's insistance. She was pregnant at the time, and had a son she named Don Carlos Shirts on 5 Jun 1859 John D. Lee wrote in his journal: "Sund. June 5th, 1859. This morning Mary Adaline, my daughter, once the wife of Don Carlos Shirts, was delivered of a son bearing the name of his father; but rather in honor of Don C., the Prophet Joseph's brother. She had a very hard time of labor to bring forth. She fainted away several times. Later he wrote, Mond. June 20th. My daughter Mary has measurably recovered. Don C. Shirts, her husband is here but her feelings are still alienated from him. He made up some brooms for us today." It was not her feelings, but rather her father's feelings that were alienated -- Carl told his son that he and Mary had never spoken a negative word to each other. Carl was a metal smith and carpenter. He also designed and built violins and other musical instruments.

1860: After divorcing Carl Shirts, Mary Adoline Lee married a blacksmith by the name of Mark Darrow, and the family was listed in the 1860 Utah Census (Page 149, film pages are not consecutive): MARK H. DARROW, age 21, male, occupation blacksmith, real estate $0, personal property $50, born in Wisconsin; MARY A DARROW, age 17, female, born in illinois; DON C. DARROW, age 1, male, born in Utah Territory. Don changed his name back to Shirts in later life.

The Virgin City, Washington County Utah census, enumerated 24 Jul 1860, page 141, dwelling 1186, family 1057, listed: "D.C. SHIRTS, age 23, farmer, real estate $75, personal property $275, birth Illinois, cannot read or write; ELIZABETH SHIRTS, age 17, born Illinois; GEORGE SHIRTS, age 4, born Utah Territory; Wm SHIRTS, age 3, born Utah Terr; D.C. SHIRTS, age 11 months, born Utah Terr."

1861: A daughter named Emma Jane Shirts, was born to Carl & Betsy Shirts 2 Apr 1861 in Manti, Sanpete County Utah. It is assumed that the family had traveled to Manti to exchange goods, which was common in those days.

1863: A son named Alonzo Shirts, was born to Carl & Betsy Shirts 2 Feb 1863 in Virgin, Washington County Utah. Virgin was adjacent to the town of Kanarah.

1865: Melissa Shirts was born 24 Apr 1865 in Virgin, Washington County Utah, to Carl & Betsy Shirts.

1867: A son named Peter Shirts after his grandfather, was born 1 Mar 1867 in Kanarrah to Carl & Betsy Shirts.

1869: Marcia Ann Shirts was born 18 Mar 1869, to Carl & Betsy Shirts, in Kanarrah Utah.

1870: The Kanarah, Kane County Utah census taken 18 Jul 1870, sheet 474, dwelling 24; listed: "DON C. SHIRTS, age 36, farmer, real estate $300, personal property $400, born in Missouri; ELIZABETH SHIRTS, age 24, keeping house, born in Illinois; GEORGE R. SHIRTS, age 14, work on farm, born in Utah; WILLIAM SHIRTS, age 13, attending school, born in Utah; DON C. SHIRTS, age 9, at home, born in Utah; EMMA SHIRTS, age 9, at home, born in Utah; ALONZO D. SHIRTS, age 7, at home, born in Utah; MELISSA SHIRTS, age 5, born in Utah; PETER SHIRTS, age 3, born in Utah; MARCIA SHIRTS, age 1, born in Utah."

1871: Carl & Betsy Shirts moved their family up in the mountains to Panguitch Utah in 1871 (DUP History of Garfield County 1949, Golden Nuggets of Pioneer Days, p 20), NOTE: "The following men with their families came to Panguitch in 1871 [among others] Carl Shurtz." Page 60: "Cabinet-makers were Elijah Elmer, Karl Shurtz and Heber Clayton. Henry Barney [Carl Shirts' step-father-in-law] was the first chairmaker."

The Escalante Story, p. 85, says that, "Panguitch records list these men among those who came to help re-settle Panguitch in 1871-72 after Indian troubles had been quieted: Philo Allen, William Alvey, John Busenbark, William R. Butler, David Campbell, Albert Delong, Lewis Deuel, William Henry Deuel, Thomas Heaps, Lacy Laramie, Rufus Liston, John W. Norton, Andrew P. Schow, James Schow, CARL SHIRTS, Joseph H. Spencer, and David Stevensen."

1872: Although it had plenty of water and grass for cattle, Panguitch was a much higher elevation than the southern Utah settlements in Washington County. Carl Shirts' brother-in-law, Alma Barney, and some others began looking for a warmer climate to move to (DUP History of Garfield County 1949, Golden Nuggets of Pioneer Days, p 92-93, 98), NOTE: "In 1872, Dellenbaugh and Thompson of the Powell expedition met a number of Mormons from Panguitch headed by Alma Barney, Arla Bliss, Edward Bunker and Smith Thurston, who were seeking a settlement in what was known as Potato Valley, which name was taken from them finding wild potatoes growing there. These surveyors advised them to call the settlement Escalante The first settlers came there in 1875 and selected the site. Alma Barney claimed the honor of being the means of changing the town site from the north side of the creek to its present site south of the creek and helping to survey the water ditch and make the dugway road over the Escalante mountain. He said they worked all through the fall and early winter months to get the road over the top of the mountain but not into the valley. They returned home in one of the fiercest snow storms they had ever witnessed just in time for Christmas. This company from Panguitch was looking for a warmer climate. The town has an elevation of 5700 feet and the river and town both derive their names from Father Sylvester Valez de Escalante, who is said to be the first white to explore the Great Basin in 1775-76... The town is rich in cattle and sheep and is well cultivated and has fine productive farms. It is one of the best fruit producing sections of Garfield county and is also rich in coal and oil. It has a fine climate with an average growing season of 130 days. The soil is sandy loam and is very feertile, yielding alfalfa especially well... These pioneers spent about nine months of the year on ranches located in the canyons around the town and near water where dairy farming was the chief industry... The Escalante mountain has always been a barrier to outside contacts. Semi-weekly mail service was by pack horse and in mid-winter by men on snow shoes. Later it was taken by buggy and team over the Cannonville-Henrieville route... The first small home built on the town site was built by Wm Alvey Sr, who built a cellar and lived in it. Philo Allen Sr built the first log house. But the first good home was built by Carl Shurtz."

1875: Carl & Betsy Shirts moved their family from Panguitch to Escalante in the spring of 1875. This was to be the families' final move (The Escalante Story p. 31), NOTE: "The settlement of Escalante began in the spring of 1875. According to a statement in the Latter-day Saints church historian's records, 'A number of the bretheren from Panguitch who desired to change their place of residence to a country where the climate was more mild, decided to settle Potato Valley, having been impressed by report of the explorers from Beaver'... They crossed the mountain at its lowest elevation, a saddle where the crest dips from 12,577 feet to 9,000 feet... a number of men set out for Potato Valley. From various accounts made years later it would seem that they were in two groups. One included Andrew P. Schow, whom Bishop George Sevy of Panguitch had appointed to take charge of the proposed colony, and Thomas Heaps, David Stevensen, Don Carlos Shirts (spelling was changed to Shurtz about 1895... his brothers retained the usage of their father, Peter Shirts...), William Alvey, and Isaac Turnbow..."

The Escalante Story page 36 shows pictures of Carl & Betsy Shirts, along with Carl's father, Peter Shirts. Page 39 states, "Don Carlos (Carl) Shirts brought his wife Elizabeth (Betsy) and nine children, Don Carlos, Alonzo, Peter, Melissa, Marcia, Wallace, John, Myron, and Emma Gean. Three others, Ambrose, Perry, and Maud, would be born here. With them came George Riley, and William Shirts, sons of Elizabeth and Washington Shirts, a brother of Carl, who had died before her marriage to Carl." Page 40 of the Escalante Story has photos of King Darius & Margaret Haslam Shirts; page 44 has photos of Myron & Sarah Shurtz; page 45 has the wedding photos of Moroni & Jane Shirts. Page 46 of the Escalante Story states, "A family that came directly from Kannarahville that year was that of Darius (Di) Shirts, brother of Carl, with his wife Margaret and sons Moroni, William, and Reese and daughters Margaret Ann and Alice." Page 48 shows photos of John & Rachel Shurtz; page 52 shows photos of Ambrose & Clarice Shurtz, and Peter Jr & Hattie Shurtz; page 65 shows a photo of Wallace Shurtz and his family; page 93 shows a photo of "Shurtz family picking geese."

According to Newell & Talbot (History of Garfield County, pp. 133-134), "The Escalante pioneers had abundant timber in the canyons around their settlement.. Residents also found a high grade of clay in Pine Creek. Carl Shurtz and Joseph Spencer used sun-dried adobes to build their first homes. But after experiments were made with the nearby clay and firing bricks in a kiln, the bricks became preferred.... At first the wild, or 'blue' potato, wild strawberries, chokecherries, elderberries, gooseberries, and red currants supplemented the settler's diets. According to Alberta Liston, wild onions also grew in the area, as did watercress and asparagus. Soon the rich, fertile soil yielded corn, wheat, and other small grains planted by the settlers, and each family also planted a vegetable garden... The settlers preserved their meat, usually venison, by 'jerking' it. They did this by cutting the meat in strips, immersing it to soak in a boiling brine of saltwater, and then hanging it to dry. CARL SHURTZ performed this task one fall as a favor to a local Indian known as Pete, who somewhat reluctantly left a doe he had killed with Shurtz. When he returned a few day later he found the venison jerky already done and preserved for the winter. He was so delighted that for several years thereafter he brought an animal to Shurtz each fall to be jerked."

According to Heart Throbs of the West (Volume 12; Ranching in the Early Days, Garfield County), "North Creek ranchers were Edwin Twitchell, Moroni Shirts, William H. Gates, Hyrum Gates, Joe Lay, Don Shirts, Josiah Barker, William V. Lay and WILLIS YOUNG. Margaret S. Mitchell, daughter of Moroni Shirts, tells of running calves on the ranch and of milking thirty to forty cows each day. Edwin Twitchell and family operated a ranch in Pine Creek. Others in the dairy ranching business on Pine Creek were CARL SHURTZ, Orson Allen, William Allen, John Allen, William Shirts, Posey Porter (for whom Posey Lake was named), Brigham Woolsey Sr., Peter Barker, George and Johnny Davis, Monroe Twitchell and Robert Allen. Each of these ranchers had the same purpose; to make cheese and butter to exchange for bolts of cloth, shoes and household supplies for the coming year. Some hauled their cheese and butter to Beaver, some to Pleasant Grove, while others drove to Salt Lake City. All freighting was done with team and covered wagons. Indians were numerous and these sturdy pioneers had many frightening experiences."

1876: Newell & Talbot (History of Garfield County, pp. 302 & 304) says that, "From that day in 1876 when Escalante young people sprinkled the spot of earth near the creek and tramped it hard to make a dance floor, dancing has been the favorite recreation. There has always been an orchestra with at least one violin, a guitar or two, and the organ or piano. Early dance fiddlers were Josiah Barker Sr, Joseph Fordham, Darius Shirts, and William Stokes. Peter Barker played an accordion and Edward Wilcock led the Virginia reels. CARL SHIRTS not only played violins; he made them, in considerable numbers. He also mada a dulcimer that was featured on many programs. His son, Ambrose, learned to play it and now owns this fine old instrument... Bishop Schow's band included the following members: Don Carlos (CARL) SHIRTS, Josiah Barker Sr. James Schow, Zetland Mitchell, Lewis Deuel, Oroni Shirts, Joseph S. Barney, Martin Liston, John C. Roe, J.R. (Rile) Porter, Joseph Fordham, John Heaps, William Henry Gates, William Stokes, William Henry Deuel, Willard Heaps, Darias (Di) Shirts, Elisha Campbell, Warren Campbell, George Davis and a little later, Napoleon B. (Pole) Roundy, Wallace Roundy, and Lorenzo Roundy."

1878: Emma Jane Shirts married Perry Martindale Liston 20 May 1878. They raised a large family and she died 2 Feb 1933 in Escalante, Garfield County Utah.

1879: D.C. Shurtz, son of Carl & Mary Lee Shirts, married Sarah Margaret Imlay in 1879. Sarah died giving birth to her first child, named Sarah Margaret Shurtz, on 14 May 1880 in Panguitch Utah. The little baby died also.

1880: The Shirts/Shurtz family was a large one and always involved in the activities of the pioneer community in one way or other. The Escalante Story, page 391 says that, "While a celebration program was being held at the old bowery one summer, two boys, Moroni and Alonzo (called Rone & Dutch) Shirts were enlivening the proceedings at a little distance by firing a blast of gun-powder at the close of each number on the program. They were pouring the powder from a glass bottle into the hole of the anvil they were using. Somehow a spark entered the neck of the bottle and ignited the whole contents. Bottle and powder exploded, filling the boys' faces with glass and fire. Someone rushed them quickly to the home of Di Shirts across the street and poured linseed oil over the burns. Fortunately the boys' eyesight was not lost. The program went on undisturbed, some of the audience likely wondering why the blasts had ceased."

1881: Melissa Shirts married George Amos Deuel in Escalante during the year 1881. They raised a large family and she died 12 May 1939 in Escalante.

1882: Alonzo Shirts married Hannah Griffin 8 Mar 1882 in the St George temple. They had one child (Sarah Edith Shirts) before his death in 1902 in Escalante.

Carl followed in his father's footsteps by doing some prospecting for gold and other precious metals (The Escalante Story, p. 181), NOTE: "As early as 1880 prospectors were finding showings of gold ore along the Colorado River between Hite and the mouth of Last Chance. Between 1883 and 1889 there was much activity in Glen Canyon. CARL SHIRTS joined the Charles Hall family at their crossing and prospected Burro Bar in 1882. The California Bar yielded $10,000 in gold. All sites were located merely as prospects except one, the Good Hope, which was patented. Cass Hite discovered gold at the mouth of Trachyte Creek in 1883."

1883: D.C. Shurtz, son of Carl & Mary Lee Shirts, married Alfarata Clark 12 Jan 1883 in Panguitch. She had one daughter named Mary Elizabeth with her first husband, Harvey Howard Deluche before divorcing him. D.C. and Alfarata had eight children together. He died in a railroad yard accident in San Bernardino on 19 Dec 1913 (death certificate).

1886: Marcia Ann Shirts married John Wesley (called Dick) Young 19 Apr 1886 in Escalante Utah. They raised a large family and she died 26 Dec 1926 in Widtsoe, Garfield County Utah.

1891: Carl & Betsy Shirt's son, Peter Shirts, married Harriet Derinda Moody 12 Nov 1891 in the Manti temple. They raised a large family and he died 7 Aug 1943 in Cedar City, Iron County Utah.

1900: Carl's father, Peter Shirts Sr, lived on the San Juan River for several years prior to his death in 1882 and members of the family held mining claims there for some time after (The Escalante Story, p. 183), NOTE: "That Escalante men were holders of mining claims across the Colorado on the San Juan River is shown by a quit-claim deed dated August 31, 1900, by D.C. SHIRTS, Peter Shirts [Jr], and Alva Pratt to John Shirts, Myron Shirts, D.C. Shirts Jr, Ambrose Shirts, N. Galloway, and N.B. Roundy, or one-tenth interest in King and Copper Lodes in San Juan County."

The Escalante Precinct, Garfield County Utah census, enumerated 14 Jun 1900, residence 83, family 13 listed: DON C. SHIRTS, head, age 63, born in Ohio, occupation farmer; ELISABETH, wife, age 58, born in Illinois; PERRY M. SHIRTS, son, age 19, day laborer; MAUD SHIRTS, daughter, age 17.

1910: Carl's son-in-law, John Wesley (Dick) Young was a good farmer and his family prospered. Using lumber from his saw mill, he built a modest home on his ranch in Johns Valley, which was located in the mountains above Escalante. His home was large enough to accommodate both his own aging parents and Marcy's father, Carl. This was reflected in the 8 May 1810 census, Garfield County, Coyote Precinct: "JOHN W. YOUNG, head, age 49, farmer; MARCIA YOUNG, wife. age 41; J. WESLEY JR, son, age 21; RILEY YOUNG, son, age 20; GLADYS YOUNG, daughter, age 18; LEONARD YOUNG, son, age 16; GERTRUDE YOUNG, daughter, age 13; SIMON YOUNG, son, age 10; ELIZABETH YOUNG, daughter, age 8; MAUDE YOUNG, daughter, age 5; ANN YOUNG, mother, age 79; WILLIS YOUNG, father, age 86 [incorrect]; DON C. SHURTZ, father-in-law, age 73."

It seems that the town of Escalante has always attracted people who are concerned about conservation of the natural environment. When the Mormons first settled in Escalante, they made a deal with the local Piute chief Mugai to use his land by giving him a beef cow and two ponies. His tribe continued to live & hunt along the river, making willow huts to live in. They were closely related to the Fishlake band that carefully divided out the fish to whites and indians alike. Of course the white & Indian boys grew up and played sports together (mainly foot & horse racing and wrestling). Mugai's tribe had a herd of goats and from the goat hair would weave blankets and rugs of many designs. They didn't do much bead or turqoise work but made many willow baskets of all sizes and styles. The members of both of these tribes eventually dwindled away from white mans diseases. Mugai had a surviving son named Pete Indian who was a baptized Mormon and polygomous, as were several other men in town. Pete Indian had three wives and numerous children that succumbed to disease until finally only one son, Tommy, survived. Tommy lived to old age and died in Richfield Utah. Pete became chief of the Escalante band after Mugai died, and he adopted the white mans ways. He was a nicely dressed, sober man, and attended church on a regular basis. He was well-bult, of medium height and loved to be with a group of white men and join in their conversation. They all liked and respected him. He took up a homestead in Main Canyon at the mouth of Deer Canyon where he raised hay, grain and corn. He owned a team and wagon, an old mower, and a hay-rake. Later on he had a model-T automobile. He spent most of his winters trapping coyotes and lions. One winter evening about 1910, during the Washington Birthday celebration, Pete Indian entered the hall where a dance was being held. He had his war bonnet on and carried a dead eagle in his hand. The dances in those days were on a Saturday and lasted most of the night so that the men had an excuse to miss church the next day. Carl Shirts was a farmer, violin-maker, fiddler, and parttime prospector among other things. He and his brother Darius (Di) were doubtless two of the band members. Everyone could see that Pete Indian was angry even though he didn't have any war paint on. He asked permission to speak to the crowd. Permission was granted, the dancing stopped. Everyone became silent while Pete addressed the hall full of people: "Whatzematter all white man dress up, come to dance. On Sunday, men don't dress up; don't go to church." That honest statement hit a moral chord not necessarily made by violin strings. "My friends, it is right for white man to have celebration, to talk about land -- white man land, white man flag, Big United States. White man money, dollar, has eagle on one side. White man like eagle, big bird. Today I find eagle, white boy shoot." He held the eagle up for all to see. "Dead now, maybe so last one, last eagle, no more eagle. One time many eagle (pointing toward the cliffs above town). Too much shoot. Indian shoot little bit. White man shoot too much. Eagle all gone. Maybe-so pretty soon, Indian all gone. One time many Indian. Many papoose. Now Indian die. Papoose die. Sleep in cave (pointing toward the cemetery). Indian sleep. Little bit food. One time much rabbit, much fish, much deer. Now little bit. White man give Indian bread. Indian beg. Squaw beg 'Give me bread'. No good.! Indian no like beg. Me Indian chief." Then reaching up to pull his war bonnet off, he continued. "Now me No chief. No good! No good! Papoose too much die. Eagle all gone. Pretty soon Indian all gone." This speech pretty much took the partying out of the party and Pete Indian's words made an impression on people that was never forgotten in Escalante history.

1915: Carl Shirt's son, Ambroze Shurtz, explained why many in the family changed the spelling of their name (History of Peter Shirts and His descendents, FHL Film #1321318, page 48), NOTE: "I want to say that my father told me that his father changed the way of spelling his name from the way his father spelled it to Shirts because of a disagreement with his father. So both Grandpa and all his boys spelled it that way till one day when I was about 17 a professor by the name of Carl G. Mazer or Maser who was teaching at BYU came down to Escalante. He got hold of we younger fellows and told us that we should spell our name Shurtz He said, if you were in Germany, you would spell it, Schurtz, but here in the United States you could leave out the 'c' and spell it Shurtz. Now that's how, and when, the spelling of the name took place to change it back from Shirts to Shurtz."

Ambrose outlived his parents and all his siblings, dying 31 Dec 1968 at the age of 90. He was involved in an incident involving a grizzly bear that happened in about 1915 when he was about 36 years old (Escalante Story, pp 398-400), NOTE: "Old Bruno was a huge grizzly bear that once ranged from Caanan Mountain on the west to the east end of Boulder Mountain. Because of the great number of livestock he destroyed, stockmen had put a price of five hundred dollars on his head. Many men hunted him; a few encountered him, but the reward went unclaimed for several years. Joseph J. Porter, forest ranger, tells of two visits to his tent of the old killer. Once Porter and another ranger, Ambrose Shurtz, were camped on Twitchell Creek below the Willow Bottom reservoir. They had observed as they passed the reservoir that it was full and that the dam was in danger of breaking. Still they made their camp in a vulnerable spot. After a light lunch they went down to the brook and caught a string of trout, intending them for a hearty evening meal. A heavy rain began to fall, however, as they hastily moved saddles and other gear into the tent and proceeded to clean the fish, throwing the refuse not far from their tent door and placing the trout in a pan just inside the tent. Because the rain grew heavier, they decided not to try to cook supper but to go to bed. Porter fell asleep, but Shurtz was uneasy because of the threatened reservoir dam above them. He awakened his companion, urging that they get up and move camp even though it meant getting wet. Porter demurred and Shurtz tried to doze. Suddenly he was aroused by the side of the tent falling onto his face and by hearing more of the tent guy ropes being knocked down outside. Even at this his tired and sleepy companion refused to be alarmed. 'Only the wind', he muttered. 'Turn over and go to sleep.' But his companion whispered, 'LOOK!' Filling the doorway was a large grizzly bear. The rain had ceased, and the bear stood tall and broad in the moonlight. He entered the tent, calmly sniffing toward the fish which he quickly found and proceeded to eat. Then he polished the pan and licked his chops with is long tongue and gazed over at the men as if to say, 'Lie still, I am boss here.' The men lay still. After what seemed a long time Bruno turned and left with dignity. The men finally found their guns, sighted him on the hillside and fired. Perhaps their aim was unsteady, for they found no evidence next morning of having wounded the bear. They measured his tracks, which were so large they had no doubt that their visitor had indeed been Bruno. When they told their adventure at a baseball game in town next day, their listeners were free in telling them just what they should have done. One man in particular, Don Shurtz, an older brother of Ambrose, declared that if he had been there, old Bruno's pelt would now be hanging on the fence. He said he had to take a load of salt to his cattle in North Creek and wanted Porter to go with him and 'get the bear.' Porter agreed, and eventually they were camped in the same spot as on the previous occasion. They caught a string of trout, threw the refuse near the tent, but this time decided to cook and eat the fish. When they went to bed, Shurtz declined the place nearest the tent door, showing that for all his brave words, he was a bit nervous, yet he soon went to sleep. Porter lay awake for perhaps two hours, when suddenly he heard the underbrush on the hill begin to crackle. He listened, thinking perhaps it might be one of the horses coming into camp. Then he heard a low growl. He gave Shurtz a poke in the ribs and exclaimed, 'Here's your bear.' Half asleep, Shurtz raised himself, seized his gun and began to work the lever, throwing all the shells out upon the ground. The clicking of the gun alarmed the bear, and Porter heard him hurrying off up the mountainside. Next morning they went out and found Bruno's tracks where he had come up to the tent, then whirled and run. Shurtz begged Porter not to tell what happened, but Porter thought the story too good to keep, so the older man came in for a good deal of ribbing from his townsmen. Even little boys would call to ask him whether he had old Bruno's hide on the fence yet. Andrew Norton and Ben Tanner resolved to win the renown and cash reward for killing the maurader. Well equipped with traps, guns, and knives, they trailed him all the way across the top of the mountain and into ravines at the sides. He was easily followed by the carcases of dead animals he left in his wake. They counted 38 cattle he had killed in a ten-day period. Finally they located a place along the trail where the bear always went through an opening between two big boulders at the point of a ledge. They rigged up a gun with a string attached to the trigger so that when the bear touched the string, the gun would fire. Later they found that Bruno had indeed run into the snare and received a gunshot. Then he had torn up rocks and trees until the place looked as if it had been hit by a cyclone. The hunters trailed the bear for sixty miles, noting that he now traveled on only three feet, but they could not overtake him. A storm came up and obliterated the tracks, and the hunters went to town. Wounded Bruno left no more dead cattle behind him for some time. Eventually, in the spring of 1916, the big bear's hide did get stretched on a fence, but not an Escalante fence. Chess Riddle and Reuben Jolley, cowmen of Antimony, were out looking for their stock when they ran smack into the old outlaw. They had a fierce fight. The men began shooting and the bear took after them. They would run and then turn and shoot again. Several times they brought him to the ground, but Bruno would rally and come again. Through the timber and rocks the fight raged for three hours before the bear was downed at last. Examination of the hide showed 30 bullets had hit him. Hung over a six-foot high fence near Chess Riddle's store in Antimony, the forefeet on the hide touched the ground on one side and the hind feet on the other. Riddle and Jolly collected the reward and the glory.”

1917: Another story involving Pete the Indian is recounted in The Escalante Story, p. 395, NOTE: "In the fall of 1917 Pete Indian brought some sacks of pinenuts and some rolls of buckskin into Wilcock's store to trade for goods. It was the Indian custom to buy only one item at a time, wait awhile, then make another purchase. Pete bought a piece of bacon, watched while Wilcock weighed what he thought were too many pinenuts for it. When he questioned the deal, the store keeper carefully explained the circumstances. A big war was on. 'Many soldiers eat much bacon. Bacon, flour, shoes, knife, now cost more money.' Pete waited awhile then approached the scales, poured some pinenuts into it and announced the price -- much higher than the usual rate. Wilcock was astounded. 'Big war,' Pete explained. 'Many soldiers eat much pinenuts, want much gloves,' he added as he laid the buckskin on the counter."

1920: After staying with his daughter's family in Johns Valley for a time, Carl moved in with his son, Don Shurtz. The Escalante, Garfield County Census, enumerated 5-6 Jan 1920, sheet 3B, residence 43, family 46, listed: DON C SHURTZ Jr, head age 60; MARY A SHURTZ, wife, age 60; RILEY SHURTZ, son, age 24; WAYNE B SHURTZ, son, age 16; BESSIE BAKER, granddaughter, age 7; DON C SHURTZ Sr, father, age 83

1922: Ambrose Shurtz wrote, "My mother, Elizabeth (Betsy), died 6 June 1907. Later on I bought the old home and father went to live with Don, his oldest son. He died 19 Jun in his sleep, 1922 at the age of 87 years." The old pioneer Carl Shirts was buried in the Escalante City Cemetery next to his beloved wife Betsy.