With permission of David R. Gunderson, we include the following book to our blog.   I will do a few increments at a time, as I have done with the Andrew Madsen and James Monsen histories.  I will also paste the pages over to David's own blog page: http://davidrgunderson.blogspot.com/

This book will be of interest to not only the Gunderson Family but also to the Brotherson, Ericksen, Peel,   Madsen, Larsen and more.

Because specific records of Erick’s work and contributions are not available, the following sections will describe the importance and magnitude of the various projects and situations that we know he and Caroline participated in as they helped to “Build the Kingdom”. Mt. Pleasant became the home of our Gunderson1 family for three generations (some of the. family still lives there) and it is still our spiritual home.

Mt. Pleasant Scene in Pioneer Days  Note Pleasant Creek and Fort  

Many of Mt. Pleasant’s earliest settlers3 had crossed the plains with Erick, Caroline, her Mother, Jens, and his family as follows:

 At least 25 of Mt. Pleasant’s early settlers came in the Canute Petersen wagon company with Erick Gunderson.

 At least 20 of Mt. Pleasant’s early settlers came in the Cowley Wagon Company and the Christiansen Handcart Company with Caroline and her Mother and Jens and his family, (C. C. A. Christensen, whose memoirs are noted above, was one of these early settlers.)

Therefore, they were not joining a settlement of strangers but a settlement of proven friends. The story of the settlement of Mt. Pleasant, still known as the “Queen City of Sanpete County”, follows

9.1 The First Settlement of Sanpete

The first settlement in Sanpete was made in 1849 at the invitation of the Ute Indians. Longsdorf, in her book4 “Mount Pleasant” describes this as follows:

“In June of 1849, scarcely two years after the arrival of the first company of pioneers in Utah, Chief Walker (Wakara, meaning yellow or brass) and Chief Sowiette with a band of Ute Indians visited President Brigham Young in Great Salt Lake City, and asked that colonizers be sent to the San Pitch Valley5, named after the Indian Chief, Sanpitch, a brother of Chief Wakara, to locate there and teach the investigate. They camped on the present site of Manti on 20 August, where they were kindly received and entertained by the Indians. After remaining there a few days, they returned to Great Salt Lake City and reported conditions favorable for settlement.” Soon after, Manti, Ephraim, Spring City, 

In 1853 – 1855 trouble with the Indians erupted and the so-called Wakara War occurred. During this war all of the settlements in Sanpete except Manti had to be abandoned and all of the settlers had to gather to Manti for their defense. One of the settlements that was destroyed was Hambleton, which was located on Pleasant Creek near the present site of Mt. Pleasant

1 Many decedents of Erick and Caroline Gunderson still live in Mt. Pleasant.

2 Art work by C. J. Jacobsen (born in Mt. Pleasant) : Longsdorf, p. 221

3 Longsdorf, p. 43

4 Longsdorf, p. 15

5 The name Sanpete came from the name of Chief Sanpitch’s grandfather Pan-a-pitch who was captured by the Spanish while on a trip to Santa Fe, to sell Piede and Paiute slaves in the 1780 time frame. They tried, unsuccessfully, to force him to reveal the source of the Ute gold then held him for several years. During that time they gave him the Christian name of San Pedro (Saint Peter). In time it was shortened to “San Pete”. His people had a hard time saying it and it became San Pitch and the valley in which they lived, came to be known as the Sanpete Valley and the river was called the Sanpitch River. (Note that a river and its valley having different names is a middle eastern custom.)

6 Hambleton is the correct spelling. It is often mistakenly rendered as Hamelton. (Longsdorf, p. 18) and other settlements were established

9.2 Consent Sought for Establishing a New Settlement on Pleasant Creek

After the Hambleton Settlement was burned out in 1853, nothing was done, so far as it is known, about re-establishing a settlement on Pleasant Creek, until about the middle of August, 1858. This was shortly after the arrival at Manti and Ephraim1 of the Big Move Caravan. The Big Move was caused by the arrival of Johnson’s army in 1858 as part of the Utah War. This army had been dispatched by Washington to put down the so-called “Utah Rebellion” in 1857.

This action was taken because of false accusations made by two Territorial Officials who had abandoned their posts in Utah and a US Mail contractor who had lost the mail contract to a Mormon transport company. In addition, the U S President, and Southern Leaders in Washington, wanted to get the US Army out of the way because Southern secession was being considered. (The Cowley wagon company and the Christiansen Handcart Company both encountered this military expedition while crossing the plains as has been noted.)

Gov. Brigham Young, was not at all pleased by this development, and vowed that the Mormon people had “built for the last time for others to occupy”. As Governor, he placed the Territory under Martial Law and ordered the people living in the northern parts of the territory to abandon their communities, prepare to burn their homes, Pioneers2 cut down their orchards, burn their crops, and destroy their irrigation systems if the army caused any problems . In addition, He caused Johnson’s Army to be delayed on the plains through the winter of 1857 -1858. He also had fortifications built all along the north ridge in Echo Canyon (which are still visible as shown below) and he had the Utah Militia3 stationed behind those fortifications, ready to interdict the army if they caused any trouble.

About 30,000 people moved south as a result of this order. Thus it is referred to as the Big Move. Many stopped in the Provo area but many many more continued further south and filled the new communities in Sanpete and other areas to over flowing.

Needless to say, this caused a great strain on the local economies. Many of the Big Move Caravan did not return to their former homes in Northern Utah but stayed to help build the new communities in Sanpete and Sevier Counties, etc.

 

Government investigators, who came with the Army, found that the claims made by the truant territorial officers and the disgruntled mail contractor were false and issued pardons to all territorial officials who had been wrongly accused. It was further agreed that the Army would make a camp on the western side of Utah Lake, at least 40 miles from any Mormon settlement. This camp was called Camp Floyd.

As a result of the crowding and economic strain, James R. Ivie, and six others were chosen at Fort Ephraim as an exploring committee, to select a suitable location for a new settlement in the northern part of the valley. They decided upon a site on Pleasant Creek. They then returned to Fort Ephraim and stated their views to the immigrants and others, who had reached Fort Ephraim and planned to remain over the winter.

1 Longsdorf, pp. 29 -34

2 Art work by C. J. Jacobsen (born in Mt. Pleasant): Longsdorf, p.11

3 Then called the Nauvoo Legion. My great grandfather Andrew Madsen, who came in the Petersen Wagon Company with Erick Gunderson, was stationed in Echo Canyon when the army arrived.

42

Three Breastwork Defenses in Echo Canyon

 A breastwork on a high cliff It could have been used for defense or its stones could have been rolled down to block the wagon road in the bottom of Echo Canyon.

The inset is a close-up of the remains of the original breastwork.

A PLAY TO CELEBRATE PIONEER DAY

Andrew Madsen Sr. Journal

Andrew Madsen Sr.

About the middle of August, 1958, James R. Ivie, Ben E. Clapp, Joseph R. Clemens, Isaac Allred, Sr., James Allred, Jr., James Allred Sr., Reubin W. Allred and Richard Ivie were chosen at Ephraim as an Exploring Committee to select a suitable location for a new settlement in Northern Sanpete Valley.

This committee traveled northward until they reached the spot where Madison D. Hamilton, five years previous attempted to colonize and settle, but was later driven away by the terrorizing Indians.  The Indians regarded the retreat of Madison D. Hamilton as an indication of weakness on the part of their white foes, and rejoiced that the waters of Hamilton Creek and the grasses of the broad meadows were to remain undisturbed as the famous hunting ground of the Red Men of Central Utah, but such a site could not be overlooked by men in search  of homes and desirous of founding a city where the natural facilities were everywhere present and where the climate is tempered by the altitude and pleasant breeze, never too hot in summer or too cold in the winter.  The cool mountain waters fresh from the snow and the clear bracing atmosphere, made life a continuous round of pleasure.

These brave men determined that this was the ideal spot for the location of a city and returned  and reported their views to the emigrants, who had reached Ephraim to remain over the winter.  A meeting was called and a petition was drafted, signed by sixty men who were desirous of locating further north, at the place selected.  Not knowing just how to proceed or what  to do, James R. Allred and James Ivie were chosen as a committee to go to Salt Lake City and present the petition to President Brigham Young.

The committee arrived in Salt Lake City, September 6th, met Elder Orson Hyde on the street and at once stated their purpose, after which, he kindly escorted them to President Young's office.  After the petition was considered, the President expressed himself as perfectly in favor of the place designated.  President Young, not being desirous  of choosing their leaders or Bishop at this time, drafted the following letter, which was sent back with the committee and submitted to the petitioners.

Great Salt Lake City, Sept. 6, 1858

"To Brother John Reese and the rest of the Brethren whos names are on the list.

I am perfectly willing that you shall go ahead and make a settlement, but we must consider whether it will be safe or not.  You wish to know my mind on the subject.  It is this:  That you must build you a good substantial Fort to live in.  Use every caution that is necessary against the Indians.  Your Fort wall must be 12 feet hig, 4 ft. thick and good stone or dobies laid in lime mortar.

I also wish you to select one of your members as President and one for a Bishop.

You will have to  be very careful of your stock or you will lose them.  You should have a good, substantial corral for them.  In choosing your farming land get it as near together as possible.  It would be better to have only one piece, fenced, then you are compact in case of an attack on you of Indians or white men.

I think this is all I have to say on this subject.

Perhaps you would like to hear the news.  Everything is quiet here in the City.  There are a good many gentiles but they behave themselves pretty well.

May God bless you, is my prayer for all other  good men."

(Signed) Brigham Young.

P.S. This is my counsel to you.

September 14th.  The committee returned from Salt Lake City and notified the petitioners, who at once called a meeting.

The letter received from President Young was presented and read and the contents therein noted, which advice was favorably received.

At this time a committee of three, viz; James R. Ivie, James K. Clemens and Isaac Allred were chosen to go with the surveyors to choose and select a site where th Fort should be built and to lay out city lots and twenty more tracts of farming land.  This was done and 1300 acres of choice farming land was selected and platted, together with a number of city lots, after which the committee returned home about the middle of October.

Upon the return, a meeting was called by the petitioners.  Their report was accepted and later thy drew lots by number for the land aned lots which were pointed out to them by the committee the following Spring.

January 10th, 1859 the petitioners  again called a meeting which was held in the school house for the purpose of organizing and to make preparations for moving to the new quarters.  After a discussion of some length James R. Ivie was chosen their President and Redick Allred was chosen Bishop, after which the meeting adjourned.

Redick Allred not being sure whether or not he would move north with the party in the Spring declined to accept the position as Bishop over the colony.

About the last of February I, Andrew Madson, in the company with my four brothers Mads, Peter, Christian and Neils, and George Frandsen, Rasmus Frandsen, Neils Widergreen Anderson, C.W. Anderson, Sidney Allred, Peter Monsen, Christian Jensen1st, , Alma Allred, Peter Johansen, Mikle Christensen, soren Jacobsen, James Meiling, moved north until we were just west of where the settlement was to be located.  We pitched our camp in a ravine on the west side of the Sanpitch River and began cutting posts, which were to be used for fencing farms as soon as Spring opened up.

Here we were joined by Alma Zabriskie, James Allred and Sidney Allred, who had gone up prior to us with cattle and horses to winter, they being the first to move towards the new settlement.

After remaining at the camp for a short time, Alma Zabriskie, James Allred and Sidney Allred, with five yoke of cattle, their wagons with seed wheat, drove through the deep snow to the present site where Mt. Pleasant now stands.

March 20th we broke up camp and moved our wagons and tents to where the Fort was to be built and pitched our camps on the bank of the creek, which is now Pleasant Creek.  Some of our party remained and myself with the balance returned to Fort Ephraim to see our families and get a supply of provisions.  We returned again to the new quarters on April 10th in company with President Ivie, Isaac Allred and their sons.  Also C.C.A. Christensen, P.M. Peel, Martin Aldrich, together with a great many others, carrying with us our farming tools (such as they were, all homemade) and a supply of seed wheat and grain.

Neils M. Burrison, Phillip Burrison, James Hansen, frederick Fechser and a number of others from Utah Valley arrived there about the same time.

My farming in 1859 was very limited.  The sagebrush on my land was large and dense, the soil being very rich.

I like the other settlers, had to work hard for we had all we could do and no mans to hire help with.

We began plowing on the 16th day of April and settlers continued to arrive from various parts.  It became necessary for President Ivie to call upon the surveyors to plat out more land and at this time there was 1200 acres more platted making a total of 2500 acres claimed.

On April 20th, President Ivie directed a letter to Brigham Young advising him of the organisation they had affected and also of the move from Ephraim and the progress of the colony.  He also made mention of the constantly arriving settlers.

A short time later the following letter was received from President Young in reply to the one sent.

(James R. Ivie,

Pleasant Creek

Sanpete County

Dear Brother:

In reply to your letter oof the 20th inst.  I have to inform you that I have heard no complaint concerning your new settlement and trust there will be no grounds for any reasonable complaint by anyone disposed to do right.  In your location it would seem to be an easy matter to manage your affairs justly for the benefit of all concerned and to take early and efficient steps for building a secure Fort that you may be safe in an Indian Country and conduct all your affairs upon wise principles, living industriously and humble that you may make your settlement pleasant and beneficial to yourself, the Country and territory at large, in all of which you have the best wishes of your Brother in the Gospel."

(signed)  Brigham Young

We continued in planting crops until we had cleared and cultivated about 1000 acres, built a number of irrigation ditches and conveyed the water upon the land.

Later in May, when the planting of crops ceased, we united ourselves together and built and erected two and one half miles of fence along the east side of the big field.

Much trouble was experienced in taking care of our oxen, as they would stray off for miles during the night.

On May 11th Isaac Allred was assaulted and killed by Thomas Ivie, resulting from a quarrel over the differences of a small herd bill.  Mr. Ivie at once left the territory and never returned.

Just as soon as the opportunity afforded, myself and brother, Mads Madsen, built a dugout jointly and about May 12th we went to Fort Ephraim for our families, returning a few days later.

May the 15th, a number of families arrived from Pleasant Grove amongst who were W.S. Seely, John Carter, Moroni Seeley, Jesse W. Seeley, Justus Wellington Seeley, Orange Seely, John Tidwell, George Farnsworth, Harvey Tidwell, Jefferson Tidwell, Nelson Tidwell, John Meyrick, George Meyrick and others.  They were received with welcome.  Allotments of land were given them upon arrival and they began to till the soil.

On May 30th, President Ivie called a meeting for the purpose of discussing the building of the Fort and as to what methods to pursue.  In conclusion four men were appointed to supervise the construction of the wall.  Jahu Cox was allotted the north side, Thomas Woolsey the west side, Wm. S. Seely the south side and John Tidwell the east side.  Workmen were organized in companies of ten and the work commenced immediately with rapid progress.

This list herein contains a complete record of every person who contributed labor towards the erection of this great stone wall.

During the month of June we were kept very busy utilizing every spare moment in attending to our crops and the building of the large Fort Wall, which was four feet wide at the bottom, two feet wide at the top and twelve feet high, enclosing one of the large blocks in the center of the colony of about five and one half acres.  This wall was constructed, leaving port holes for every family therein, and the space between was utilized for the erection of one house for each port hole.

July 9th, Apostle George A. Smith and Amasa Lyman visited the Colony, giving much good advice and instructions unto the people, stating that they had come for the purpose of perfecting an organization and to organize them into an ecclesiastical Ward.  Wm. Stewart Seeley was chosen, sustained and ordained as Bishop, Harvey Tidwell his first councilor and  Peter Y. Jensen, his second councilor.

The office of President was vacated and Brother Ivie felt much pleased from being released of the responsibility placed upon him in the establishing of the Colony with which he had worked so faithfully.

The name Mt. Pleasant was adopted for the Colony, giving credit to its pleasant location, the beautiful fields and surroundings.

Work continued on the Fort Wall until July the 18th, when the same was completed.

A few days prior to July 24th, thepeople assembled together and arranged for a program and grand celebration, it being the anniversary in honor of the Pioneers arrival in Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1847.

A bowery was erected in the southwest corner of the fort.  Much time was spent in arranging for the program and luncheon.

Pitch pine wood was brought from the mountains to be burned in order to furnish light for the dance and amusements in the evening.

On the morning of July 24th, salutes were fired at daybreak, drums were beat and at 9 a.m. the people gathered together at the bowery.

The services were commenced with singing by the choir.  The invocation was rendered by Bishop Wm. S. Seely,  the remaining program consisted of singing, speech making,  music, recitations etc., which kept up until about 1 p.m. when luncheon and picnic was served in abundance.  At 3 p.m. everything was cleared away for amusements and dancing, which continued until 2 a.m. July 25th. A good many of the people danced in their bare feet and on the bare ground.  The celebration was characterized all the way through by the good feelings which prevailed among the Saints.

About August 1st, we began harvesting our hay crops which consisted of the natural grasses, which grew in abundance in the lowlands between Mt. Pleasant and Ephraim, som of it being hauled as far as ten and twelve miles.  We were not equipped with modern machinery and our only means of cutting the grass was with homemade cythes and swathes, raking with wooden rakes and pitchforks, which were made from the native wood.

Much time was consumed haying on account of this simple method and the use of ox teams and the hauling of the hay at so great a distance.

As soon as the hay crops were put up, harvesting of grain began, which was handled in about the same manner as haying.  The grain was cradled, raked up into bundles and bound by hand, then hauled to the yards and thrashed by being trtramped with oxen or flailed by men.

The system of separating the grain from the chaff was accomplished by waiting for a light wind or breeze, at which time the farmers would toss it into the air, the grain falling on a canvas, while the chaff was blown off.  This was continued over and over several times until the wheat would be thoroughly seperated.  The crops were good and much grain was raised.  However, some of it matured very late; some was frozen, owing to the fact that some of the settlers arrived late in the Spring and did not get their seed planted early enough in the season.

More to come.

ANDREW MADSEN SR. JOURNAL PART III

The following is an account written by Andrew Madsen concerning  Chief Justice of Utah, Judge W.W. Drummond's resignation and his allegations to Washington of Governor Brigham Young and the Mormons destroying the records of the Supreme Court, Legislative Records, etc.  Also accusing the Mormons of detaining people from leaving the valley.   Drummond asked for the United States troops to be sent to Utah. Andrew records the events that brought about the (Big Move), when many saints were urged to move south before the U.S. Army invaded the area.

Andrew Madsen Sr.

David R. Gunderson  reproduced the original journal printed for private distribution several years ago and is currently working on a new edition to be published sometime in the future.

March, 1857, my brother Mads, the only one of the family who remained in Denmark completing some work and collecting the last payment due on the sale of our farm, started to emigrate to Utah in company with many others and landed here early in the fall.  His journey was not such as that of my father and mother as he came through during the summer months suffering no cold.  He was in company with Capt. Cowley.  He arrived at Philadelphia May 1st, 1857 and traveled by rail to Iowa City, arriving there June 9th, where they were fitted out with ox teams, arriving in Salt Lake City, Sept. 13th, 1857, with a wagon and yoke of oxen, bringing with him Owen Lillingquist and family.



In the spring of 1857, I, in company with Mr. Swensen assisted him in taking a load of flour to Green River with my oxen.  Arriving there I hitched to my father's wagon which had been left there the previous winter by my mother and brother.  I also brought with me some of my mother's clothing which she had left.  The trip was not the most pleasant one, but by so doing I came in possession of the wagon.



I returned to Brigham City and became the owner of a lot and after my brother Mads arrived, we worked together and in the Fall he married Miss Ellen Hansen, who had crossed the Pains with the same company.  We built a dug out which we lived in during the winter.



That winter Lorenzo Snow made arrangements to build himself a home and we presented him with a keg of nails which had been hauled by us from St. Louis, Monday March 30th.  Judge W.W. Drummond tendered his resignation as Chief Justice of Utah and in framing said resignation to be sent to the Executive at Washington, D.C., he included and wrote some of the most abominable falsehoods against the Governor, Brigham Young, and the Mormons, charging them with destroying the records of the Supreme Court, the Legislative Records, etc.  and detaining people from leaving the valley and many other falsehoods to send troops to Utah.



On July 24th, while the Saints were celebrating the 10th anniversary of the arrival of the Pioneers to Utah at Big Cottonwood Canyon, Abraham O. Smoot and Judson Stoddard arrived from Independence, Mo. without the mail, the postmaster there having refused to forward the same.  They reported that General Harney with two thousand infantry and a proportionate number of artillery and cavalry were ordered to Utah.  After receiving this information, the Utah Militia was ordered to be kept in readiness for an expedition to the mountains to prevent the approaching army, if necessary, until some agreements and understandings as to conditions had been affected.  This was in compliance with the request of Governor B. Young.



Tuesday, September 15th, Governor Brigham Young declared the territory of Utah under Martial Law and forbade the troops to enter Salt Lake Valley.  Large numbers of armed militia were ordered to Echo Canyon and other points to intercept the soldiers and prevent access to the valley.



Tuesday, September 29th, General Daniel H. Wells, left Great Salt Lake City for Echo Canyon, where he established headquarters.  About 1250 men from several military districts were ordered to Echo Canyon, where they engaged in digging trenches across the canyon, throwing up breastwork, loosening rocks on the heights, etc., preparing to resist the progress of the army.  About the same time, myself and about one hundred militia men under the command of Captain James Bywater marched to Soda Springs  and we pitched camp near Fort Hall.  Remaining there a short time, we returned to Brigham City and on October 10th, the officers of the Utah Expedition held a council of war at Hame Fork and decided that the army should march to Great Salty Lake Valley by way of Soda Springs.  The following day the march was commenced, but after several days of slow and exhaustive travelling, the expedition was forced to return.  October 12th, the militia was called out from Ogden and northern settlements and myself and about five hundred responded.  We went under command of Colonel West towards Soda Springs.  The object was to meet the Utah Army, but we were called back by an express sent by them.



About the first of November we were called out again under the command of Captain Bywater's Company to Echo Canyon, and at this time the United States Soldiers were cammped at Hame Fork and Black Fork, two miles from Fort Bridger and 115 miles from Salt Lake City.  During the first part of December, when deep snow fell, we were released and went home for the winter.



On Monday, December 21st, 1857, the Utah Legislature unanimously concurred in the message, policy and actions of Governor Brigham Young in stopping the Army.



On Monday, April 5th, 1858, Governor Alfred Cummings and Colonel Thos. L. Kane, with a servant left the Army at Fort Scott for Salt Lake City, arriving there on the 12th.  The new Governor was kindly received by President Brigham Young and other leading citizens and treated everywhere with respectful attention.



On Monday, April 19th, Governor Cummings and Colonel Kane examined the Utah Library where James W. Cummings showed them the Records and Seals of the United District Court, alleged to have been destroyed by the Mormons and many other investigations were made.  This accusation was one of the reasons why the Army was ordered to Utah.  A few days later the Governor sent a truthful report to the Government at Washington in relation to the affairs and denouncing the statements made by Judge Drummond.



Sunday, March 21st, 1858 the citizens of Salt Lake City and the settlements north of it, agreed to abandon their homes and go south.  All the information derived from eastern papers being to the effect that the approaching Army was sent to destroy them.  I, at that time, was living at Brigham City and myself, brothers and sisters, together with a great many others or practically all, began making preparations to move south as soon as Spring opened up and the weather would permit.  (This is known in Utah History as the "Big Move")

I was detailed to make boxes for flour, others to repair wagons and various other things in way of preparation.  Provisions were secured giving all of us a year's supply, which was furnished gratis.  About the middle of April many began to move south and my brother, Neils drove my team, accompanying my other brothers, mother and sisters, while I remained as a guard, being Capt. of ten, to see that our homes and property was burned and destroyed should they be disturbed by the soldiers.



We remained there for some time and during this time a band of husky Indians, about two hundred in all, came and camped upon the creek with us.  They were friendly and apparently sympathized with the people and it appeared that they had been out with the soldiers and understood there was trouble.  Many of them were clad with soldier blankets and flannel shirts.  I traded with a squaw some wheat I had scraped up from the mill for a buckskin and new red flannel shirt.  There was a tailor among us and he made the buckskin I had into a pair of trousers and this, with the red flannel shirt I had, was the first suit I ever obtained in Utah.



Thursday, May 13th, Governor Cummings left Salt Lake City for Camp Scott for the purpose of removing his wife to the City.  When he returned June 8th he found the city almost deserted by its inhabitants.



Friday, June 11th, the Peace Commission met with President Brigham Young and others in the Council House at Salt Lake City and the difficulties between the United States and Utah were peaceably adjusted, after which we were released, those having homes, principally returning to Salt Lake City.l  I took my gun and blanket and walked from Brigham City to Fort Ephraim, a distance of about two hundred miles, where I found our family.



Just a few days before I passed up Salt Creek Canyon on my way, Jens Jorgensen and wife, Jens Terkelsen and Christian and Kjerulf were murdered by Indians, while they were traveling through unarmed on their way to Sanpete Valley.



A few weeks after arriving at Ephraim, a Company of about ten went into the canyons for timber.  While we were getting out timber, a shot was fired and we all started for our wagons and one of our party came down the hill, having received a wound from the shot, which was fired by an Indian in ambush the underbrush being so dense we decided to retreat to the Fort.  However, the wounded man recovered.  That Fall we went to work supplying ourselves with hay, building houses and preparing for the winter; and on December 26th, 1858 I was married to Miss Johanna E. Wedergreen Anderson.



To us were born the following children:   (copied from Neils Madsen book)



Hannah L.             (died when 10 months old)

Louisa B.              (died  at 25 years old)

Andreas                (died at 15 days old)

Annie                    (died at 43 years old)

Emma                  (died after a few hours)

Andrew C.            (died at 67 years old)

Lauritz L.              (died at 2 years old)

Anthon W.            (died at 52 years old)

Neil M.                 (died at 54 years old)

Hilda E.                (died at 69 ?)

To be continued.........

Hamilton Poets ~ Betty Gunderson Woodbury and David R. Gunderson Collection