(Ira-William-Zephaniah-Elkanah-Elkanah-Edward)
SKETCH FROM THE HISTORIAN OF THE MORMON CHURCH
Babbitt, Almon W., president of the Kirtland Stake of Zion, from 1841 to 1843,
was the son of Ira and Nancy Babbitt and was born October 9, 1812, in Berkshire County,
Massachusetts.
He joined the church at an early day and is first mentioned in the history of Joseph Smith
(born at Royalton, Vermont) as a member of Zion's Camp in 1834. At the organization
of the first quorum of Seventy, February 28, 1835, he was ordained a Seventy, under the
hands of Joseph Smith and others. For traducing the character of the Prophet he had
a hearing before the High Council in Kirtland, December 28, 1835; he confessed his faults
and was forgiven.
Subsequently he filled a mission to Canada from which he returned in 1838, leading a
company of emigrating Saints to Missouri. After passing through the Missouri
persecutions he fled to Illinois and at a conference of the Church held in Quincy,
Illinois, May 4, 1839, "Almon W. Babbitt, Erastus Snow and Robert B. Thompson were
appointed a traveling committee to gather up and obtain all the libelous reports and
publications, which had been circulated against the Church." At a general
conference held at Commerce, October 3, 1840, he was appointed a member of a committee to
"organize Stakes" between Commerce and Kirtland. He was also appointed to
preside over the Church in Kirtland with the privilege of choosing his own counselors.
At a conference held in Kirtland, May 22, 1841, Elder Babbitt was elected president of
"that Stake", with Lester Brooks and Zebedee Coltrin jail on the day of the
martyrdom and remained with the Twelve as against the clams of Sidney Rigdon and others.
Almon rendered efficient legal service to the Church during the persecutions and
mobbing in Illinois; and when the Illinois legislature, in January, 1845, was discussing
the unconditioned surrender of the Nauvoo city charter. Elder Babbitt was in
Springfield laboring diligently as a lawyer in defending the rights of his people, but to
no purpose, the charter was repealed.
As a member of a committee appointed to formulate a petition to the Federal Government, in
behalf of the Saints, we find Almon W. Babbitt's name attached to the historical document
addressed to President James K. Polk, dated April 24, 1845. The petition which was
unheeded by the chief executive, asked for redress on behalf of a "disfranchised and
long afflicted people" and asked the president to assist the Saints to obtain a home
where they could enjoy their "rights of conscience and religion unmolested."
After the departure of the Apostles into the wilderness, in February, 1846, the affairs of
the Church in Nauvoo were left in charge of a committee, consisting of Almon W. Babbitt,
Joseph L. Heywood and John S. Fullmer; and after the famous battle of Nauvoo, in
September, 1846, these three men signed the treaty, by which the Saints agreed to
surrender the city to the mob.
Elder Babbitt came to the "Valley of the Saint," in 1848. Then when a
memorial praying for Statehood had been prepared by the Saints, he was by a joint vote of
the "General Assembly of the State of Deseret," elected a delegate to Congress
to convey the memorial to Washington.
He left for that city in the fall of 1849 and arriving at the capital he "sought the
earliest opportunity to present to Congress the public documents of which he was the
bearer, as well as his own credentials as delegate from the Provisional State of
Deseret." But Congress would not permit Colonel Babbitt to take a seat and
instead of granting Statehood, as prayed for the Territory of Utah was created in 1850.
Elder Babbitt returned to the Valley and in 1853 he was appointed secretary of the
Territory, which position he filled until his death.
October 24, 1856, the report reached Salt Lake City that some of the Cheyenne Indians had
killed some white people on the plains, among whom was Almon W. Babbitt. Also that
Mrs. Margetts and child were taken prisoners by the Indians.
"The savages on the plains," writes Orson F. Whitney, "became hostile,
attacking and robbing trains and killing travelers." Among the slain were
several citizens of Utah, namely, Col. Almon W. Babbitt, (secretary of the Territory),
Thomas Margetta, James Cowdy and others.
As a matter of record, Secretary Babbitt left Salt Lake City, April 1856 for Washington,
on business connected with his office. He was accompanied across the plains by U. S.
Marshall Heywood, Chief Justice Kenney and wife, Apostles Orson Pratt, George A. Smith,
Ezra T. Benson, Erastus Snow and others. The Margetta-Crowdy party left Utah some
time later and were on their way back to England.
In August Secretary Babbitt's train, loaded with government property for Utah, was
attacked and plundered by Cheyenne Indians near Wood River, now in Nebraska. Of the
four teamsters in charge, two were killed and one wounded. A Mrs. Wilson was wounded
and carried away by the savages, who also killed her child.
Colonel Babbitt was not with his train at the time, but was killed by the Cheyennes East
of Fort Laramie, a few weeks later. For some time his fate was enshrouded in
mystery. But it finally transpired that after leaving the frontier for the West, he,
and his party were attacked; and slain by some of the same tribe that had plundered his
train and killed his teamsters.
His death was thus related by his son Don Carlos Babbitt of Mesa City, Arizona later in
life. "My father was killed by Indians on the old Mormon trail, between the Missouri
River and Utah." He was on his twenty-second trip from Mormon land to
Washington D.C., as the negotiator. He was a great friend with all the Indians and
felt safe with them as with his neighbors at home. But they killed him, nevertheless
and it all came about by an Indian asking the overland stage driver for a piece of
tobacco. The driver shot the Indian, who lived long enough to reach his village and
tell his people. An Indian claims one or more scalps for every one of their people
killed and my father being the first met paid the debt," Don Carlos Babbitt his son,
recorded in a letter.
Children:--
David Homer, Born July 31, 1835 in Kirtland, Ohio Died November 29, 1836.
Don Carlos, Born August 15, 1843 in Webster, Illinois
Ann Caroline Born August 15, 1843 in Webster, Illinois Died October 24, 1844.
Almon Whiting Born January 25, 1847 in Nauvoo, Illinois
Julia Ann Born December 27, 1849 in Nauvoo, Illinois Resided in Mexico.
Nancy Maria Born September 7, 1854 in Salt Lake City, Utah Resided in Snowflake, Arizona.
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