Horace Thornton

  General Notes:

Horace Thornton played his part in the pioneer trek by helping to supplythe companies with fresh meat and acting as night guard. He was born May7, 1822 at Hinsdale, Catteraugus county, New York, the son of EzraThornton and Harriet Goodrich. In 1866 he joined the Latter-day SaintChurch at Kirtland and later followed the body of the Church to Nauvoo.After his arrival in the valley he resided at various times inSpringville, Parowan, Glenwood, and then obeying a call to do templework, moved to St. George. Later he moved to Manti. The following letterwas written by him to the Semi-Centennial committee from Manti, December29, 1896:

Our Pioneer Heritage
Volume 2
The First Company To Enter Salt Lake Valley [Part Ii]
Horace Thornton—Hunter and Guard
A Tribute

In attempting to respond to the request of the honorable committee, Ifeel my inability to make out any instrument of writing that will berespectable enough to go into print as a matter of history in regard tothat important and memorable event which took place in 1847; but will sayto begin with that in the spring of the above named year I was attendinga meeting in Winter Quarters, they talked about getting up a company ofpioneers and after they had talked sufficiently they commenced callingnames and some of the men whose names were called were sick (it will beremembered that the scurvy was raging and a good many down with it) andsomeone asked if they were going to call the sick men to go and H. C.Kimball answered and said "yes." Said he, "if you stay here you will die,but if you go you will get well." I well remember the busy time we had ingetting ready to start, also the scarcity of grass on account of thebackwardness of the season and how we had to do to keep the teams aliveand able to travel. I well remember nooning near the Pawnee village and agood many Indians came to camp and wanted presents and we made quite apresent consisting of ammunition and such other things as could bespared, but they did not seem to be altogether satisfied with it,consequently it was deemed advisable (to insure safety to the camp) forall to stand guard atnight, therefore President Brigham Young and HeberC. Kimball took their turns with the rest of the company; after whichthey chose to select guards who guarded the balance of the way, each onecoming on six hours every night. I was one of that number. I also did thecooking for myself. Vividly upon my mind is a certain time while we werestopping over Sunday and Brother Brigham was giving instructions inregard to how we should travel. He said we must have no quarreling in thecamp.

Brothers Brigham and Kimball took a walk and when they returned to campsomeone told them that one of the men had been back on the road a littleway from the wagons and got a snake bite; and Brother Brigham said,"Well, if you all had done the way Brother Heber and I did you would nothave got snake bit." I took my cane along and Brother Heber his hatchetand I calculated to pin every snake that came in our way to the groundand have Brother Heber chop their heads off with the hatchet. I was oneof that number who happened to get into Salt Lake Valley on the 22nd ofJuly where I remained until the latter part of August and then startedback to Winter Quarters with the ox team company, driving three yoke ofoxen belonging to H. S. Eldredge. I moved to Utah in 1850. Am now atemple worker in the Manti temple and have been ever since it opened. Ifyou can make any good out of this you are welcome to it.

Horace married on 17 Mar 1851 in Springville, UT.