John Mangum: Difference between revisions

From 1857 Iron County Militia Project
Jump to navigationJump to search
mNo edit summary
Line 53: Line 53:
In 1869, they reestablished the Kane County settlements. They were troubled by Navajo raiders for a time and Mangum helped establish a fort at Kanab. Mangum was among the guards at the temporary frontier settlement in Kanab who endured many hardships during the winter of 1869-1870.  
In 1869, they reestablished the Kane County settlements. They were troubled by Navajo raiders for a time and Mangum helped establish a fort at Kanab. Mangum was among the guards at the temporary frontier settlement in Kanab who endured many hardships during the winter of 1869-1870.  


Between 1869 and 1876, John Wesley Powell conducted the Powell expedition down the Colorado River, followed by conducted extensive surveys of its unexplored regions. In 1872, Mangum was hired to deliver supplies to Powell's surveyors at the mouth of the Paria River. However, Mangum and the supply team became lost for days on the Paria Plateau. Finally, Mangum was able to find the Escalante trail and follow it down the face of the cliffs to the Paria River and the surveyors. The supplies were eventually delivered to them. During this time, Mangum met the acquaintance of Frederick Dellanbaugh, the western writer who memorialized many of Powell's adventures in the Southwest. Nearly 50 years later, Dellanbaugh praised Powell's Mormon crews as "excellent workers and always faithful, agreeable and competent" and recalled Mangum's risky route down the cliffs from the Paria Plateau to Powell's surveyors on the Paria. (Dellanbaugh letter to Rose Hicks Hamblin, August 25, 1934, cited in ''History of Kane County,'' 51, 52.)
Between 1869 and 1876, John Wesley Powell conducted the Powell expedition down the Colorado River, followed by conducted extensive surveys of its unexplored regions. In 1872, Mangum was hired to deliver supplies to Powell's surveyors at the mouth of the Paria River. However, Mangum and the supply team became lost for days on the Paria Plateau. Finally, Mangum was able to find the Escalante trail and follow it down the face of the cliffs to the Paria River and the surveyors. The supplies were eventually delivered to them. During this time, Mangum met the acquaintance of Frederick Dellanbaugh, the western writer who was with the survey team and later memorialized many of Powell's adventures in the Southwest. Nearly 50 years later, Dellanbaugh praised Powell's Mormon crews as "excellent workers and always faithful, agreeable and competent" and recalled Mangum's risky route down the cliffs from the Paria Plateau to Powell's surveyors on the Paria. (Dellenbaugh letter to Rose Hicks Hamblin, August 25, 1934, cited in ''History of Kane County,'' 51, 52.)


In the mid-1870s, when the United Order, a community-wide cooperative, was established in Kanab, John Mangum and his son Joseph were appointed the herders of the community herd.  
In the mid-1870s, when the United Order, a community-wide cooperative, was established in Kanab, John Mangum and his son Joseph were appointed the herders of the community herd.


=== Final Years: Move to Arizona  ===
=== Final Years: Move to Arizona  ===

Revision as of 22:49, 7 February 2012

John Mangum, his personal and family background, and his involvement in the Mountain Meadows Massacre

Mangum, John.jpg
Mangum, John.jpg




John Mangum

1817-1885



Biographical Sketch

Early Years: Westward From Alabama

John Mangum was born in Albemarle, Surry County, Virginia. His earliest American forebears were from Boydton, Mecklenburg County in south-central Virginia, close to the border with North Carolina. His parents moved from Mecklenburg County to Warren County in southwest Ohio before moving south to St. Clair County, Alabama where Mangum was born.

Around 1844, the Mangums had relocated to Mississippi where Mangum married Mary Ann Adair (1822-1892), a native of Pickens County, Alabama. She was part of the large Adair clan which had converted to Mormonism. Mangum and Mary Ann eventually had twelve children.

Migration to Utah

Mangum, his wife, his mother and many of his siblings joined the Mormons and immigrated to Utah in 1852. Initially, they settled in Nephi, Juab County, where Mangum served as marshal. In 1853, Mangum married Ellen Bardsley (1819-1864), an emigrant from Lancashire, England.

Joining the Southerners in Washington County and the Cotton Mission

In spring 1857, many of the Mangums were part of a migration of southerners to Washington County. These southerners founded the Cotton Mission in what came to be known as Utah's Dixie. John Mangum and his brother James and their families were pioneers in Washington County and founders of the new settlement of Washington.

Although it eventually proved commercially unsuccessful, it did succeed in producing cotton goods for local use and export at an important stage in Utah Territory's economic development.

In the Iron Military District: Private John Mangum, Company I, John D. Lee's 4th Battalion, Washington

In September 1857, John Mangum, 40, like his brother James, was a private in the fourth Washington platoon in Harrison Pearce’s Company I in John D. Lee’s 4th Battalion. Mangum was among those recruited from Washington. See A Basic Account for a full description of the massacre.

According to Lee, John Mangum helped quiet Indians about midway through the four day siege. His role in the massacre on Friday, September 11, is unknown. He was listed in Judge John Cradlebaugh's 1859 arrest warrant.

Later Years

Mangum, John.jpg
Mangum, John.jpg

The Mangums remained in Washington County for many years where he worked as a farmer and stockraiser. According to Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, Mangum also married Mary Hamblin, the daughter of Jacob and Priscilla Hamblin.

Move to Kane County

In the 1860s, Mangum was a founder of the settlements in Long Valley, Kane County. At the beginning of the Black Hawk War, Kanab and the other Long Valley settlements were abandoned and the Mangums and other families returned to Washington County.

Return to Kane County

In 1869, they reestablished the Kane County settlements. They were troubled by Navajo raiders for a time and Mangum helped establish a fort at Kanab. Mangum was among the guards at the temporary frontier settlement in Kanab who endured many hardships during the winter of 1869-1870.

Between 1869 and 1876, John Wesley Powell conducted the Powell expedition down the Colorado River, followed by conducted extensive surveys of its unexplored regions. In 1872, Mangum was hired to deliver supplies to Powell's surveyors at the mouth of the Paria River. However, Mangum and the supply team became lost for days on the Paria Plateau. Finally, Mangum was able to find the Escalante trail and follow it down the face of the cliffs to the Paria River and the surveyors. The supplies were eventually delivered to them. During this time, Mangum met the acquaintance of Frederick Dellanbaugh, the western writer who was with the survey team and later memorialized many of Powell's adventures in the Southwest. Nearly 50 years later, Dellanbaugh praised Powell's Mormon crews as "excellent workers and always faithful, agreeable and competent" and recalled Mangum's risky route down the cliffs from the Paria Plateau to Powell's surveyors on the Paria. (Dellenbaugh letter to Rose Hicks Hamblin, August 25, 1934, cited in History of Kane County, 51, 52.)

In the mid-1870s, when the United Order, a community-wide cooperative, was established in Kanab, John Mangum and his son Joseph were appointed the herders of the community herd.

Final Years: Move to Arizona

Later, like his brother James, Mangum and his family moved to Apache County, Arizona where he died in either 1881 or 1885. He was survived by his first wife and nine children. Their children later settled in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

References

Alder and Brooks, A History of Washington County, 29 fn. 11; Bradley, A History of Kane County, 52, 66-67, 69; Esshom, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1022; Gregory, "Journal of Jones, 1871-1872," Utah Historical Quarterly, 16,17 (1948-1949), 106, 108, 112, 250; "Journal of ... Powell, Utah Historical Quarterly, 16-17 (1948-1949), 358 fn. 78; Kelly, "Captain . . . Bishop’s Journal, 1870-1872," Utah Historical Quarterly, 15, 1-4 (1947), 232, 233; Lee, Mormonism Unveiled, 229, 231, 380; Lee Trial transcripts; New.FamilySearch.org.; Robinson, ed. History of Kane County, 6, 14, 18, 38, 44, 45, 52, 68; Woodbury, "A History of Southern Utah and Its National Parks, Utah Historical Quarterly, 12/3-4 (Jul.-Oct. 1944), 179; Walker, et al, Massacre at Mountain Meadows, Appendix C.

For full bibliographic information see Bibliography.

External Links

For further information on John Mangum, see:

Further information and confirmation needed. Please comment or contact 1857_militia@roadrunner.com.