William Wesley Willis (1859 - 1926): Our Family History

1859 - 1926 (67 years) Has no ancestors but 7 descendants in this family tree.

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Name	William Wesley Willis
Birth	21 Mar 1859	Toquerville, Washington, Utah, United States
Gender	Male
Initiatory (LDS)	2 Oct 1879	SGEOR
FamilySearch ID	KWZ1-B5B
Death	5 Dec 1926	Lovell, Big Horn, Wyoming, United States
Burial	7 Dec 1926	Lovell Cemetery, Big Horn, Wyoming, United States
Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
Person ID	I162460	mytree
Last Modified	25 Feb 2024

Family Elizabeth Malvina Clark, b. 18 Oct 1875, Clarkston, Cache, Utah, United States d. 25 Dec 1930, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States (Age 55 years)

Marriage 19 Mar 1893 St. George, Washington, Utah, United States

Children

+	1. Frances Willis, b. 2 May 1913, Lovell, Big Horn, Wyoming, United States d. 19 Jan 1996, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States (Age 82 years)

Family ID F41276 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 6 Mar 2025

Event Map

	Birth - 21 Mar 1859 - Toquerville, Washington, Utah, United States
	Initiatory (LDS) - 2 Oct 1879 - SGEOR
	Marriage - 19 Mar 1893 - St. George, Washington, Utah, United States
	Death - 5 Dec 1926 - Lovell, Big Horn, Wyoming, United States
	Burial - 7 Dec 1926 - Lovell Cemetery, Big Horn, Wyoming, United States

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Notes

William Wesley Willis - Mormon Battalion

Nov 10 1846 Lieutenant William Wesley Willis was ordered to return to Sa n ta Fe with all the sick, fifty-six men, and they accordingly started ba c k with one wagon, 4 yoke of poor oxen and rations sufficient to last t h e men only five days to go a journey of 300 miles: The parting of thes e m en with their comrades was very affecting. They had become endeared t o ea ch other by the ties of the gospel and the association of the journe y, an d the chances were strong against their ever meeting again.
Lieutenant W. W. Willis writing from memory of the incidents of this si c k detachment says, "Our loading of the one wagon consisted of the cloth in g, blankets, cooking utensils, tents and tent poles, muskets, equipage , a nd provisions and all invalids who were unable to walk. With some dif ficu lty I obtained a spade or two and a shovel but was provided with n o medic ines or other necessaries for the sick except mutton before refer red to a nd only five days rations to travel near 300 miles .
Nov 20th thus loaded and equipped we commenced our lonesome march retrac i ng our steps to Santa Fe. We marched some ways, about two miles. We we r e visited by Captain Hunt and others by night, who spoke words of comfo r t to us and blessed us administering the church ordnance of the sick a n d bidding us God speed. They left us the next day Nov 21, we resumed o u r march camping in the evenings near some springs. One yoke of our oxe n g ot mired in the mud, we took off the yoke, got one out, the other w e unde rtook to pull our with a rope and unfortunately broke his neck. Ou r tea m was now too weak for our load. In the night Brother John Green di ed, w e buried him beside Brother Hampton. What to do for a team we did n ot kno w, this was dark time and many were the earnest petitions that wen t up t o our God and Father for divine aid.
Nov 22. The next morning we found with our oxen a pair of splendid you n g horses which was really cheering to us. We looked upon it as one of t h e providences of our Father in Heaven. Thus provided for we pursued ou r m arch.
Nov 23 and 24. We traveled two days without further accident. During t h e night of the 25th of Nov Eliza Freeman was taken ill.
Nov 26. We him next day in our wagon and could distinctly hear his groa n s to the head of our little column.
Nov 27. We lay by the next day for his benefit. It was very cold and sno w y.
Nov 28. We resumed our march, but were forced to stop the wagon for th e a fflicted comrade to die. After his death we resumed our march until t he u sual time of camping. When we buried the corpse, Richard Carter als o die d the same night and we buried him by the side of Brother Freeman . Thei r graves are four miles south of Secora on the Rio Grande.
Nov 29. I had fuel and everything to buy and spent $66 of my own priva t e money before reaching Santa Fe, which was as near as I can recollec t ab out the first of Dec. On my arrival at that place, General Price, co mmand er of the post ordered me to Pueblo on the Arkansas River. He als o ordere d Quarter-master Kissock to furnish us with necessary for packin g. With t his outfit we had to perform a journey of about 300 miles ove r mountain a nd in the winter. Packing was new business to us and at firs t was quite a wkward. This was about the 5th of Dec. The first day we mar ched about 1 0 miles. Here we gave Brother Brazier, who was too sick to t ravel, a mul e and left Brother Thomas Burns to wait on him and follow wh en he got abl e, also a Mr. Turley, where I designed leaving those who we re unable to c ross the mountains. The next day we traveled about 20 mile s and camped o n a beautiful stream of water where we had to leave a brok en down mule. T he day after we marched about 15 miles and camped in a Sp anish town. Her e Alva Calkins, at his own request remained to await th e arrival of Broth er Brazier and Burns. About ten inches of snow fell th at day, and the nex t day it snowed until about noon after which we march ed about 10 or 12 mi les and hired quarters of a Spaniard. Here the men b ought bread, onions , pork, etc., from their own private means. Brother G eorge Colemna was se ized with an unnatural appetite and ate too excess . In the night we wer e awakened by his groans. Mr. Rust gave him a littl e tincture of lobelia , the only medicine in camp, which gave him partia l relief. Continuing ou r journey, we traveled within about ten miles o f Turley's to make arrange ment for the sick. I left my saddle mule for t he sick man with strict ins tructions to have him brought to that place . On my arrival I made necessa ry arrangements, and about noon the compan y arrived but to my surprise an d regret without Brother Coleman. They sa id he refused to come. Mr. Turle y on hearing me express my regret and di ssatisfaction at his being left o ffered to send his team and a carriag e to go back next day after him, whi ch offer I accepted and agreed to pa y him for his trouble. I left quit e a number of sick with Mr. Turley.
I paid him out of my own private funds for their rations and quarters, a n d then traveled about 10 miles. That night strong fears were entertain e d in that the snow was so deep we could not cross the mountain and som e r esolved not to attempt it accusing me of rashness. I called the compa ny t ogether and stated the facts to them that I was unauthorized to dra w rati ons except for the journey and other necessaries unless for the si ck an d that I was spending my own money. I also stated that I should car ry ou t the instructions and march to Pueblo to winter, if I had to go al one, t hen called for a show of right hands of all who would accompany me . All v oted but one, and he fell in afterwards and begged pardon for hi s opposit ion. We continued our march from day to day, traveling throug h snow fro m two to four feet deep with continued cold piercing wind. Th e third da y about noon we reached the summit of the mountains. Before re aching th e top, however, I had to detail a rear guard of the most able b odied men , to aid and encourage those who began to lag and felt unable t o procee d further, while with other I marched at the end of the column t o break t he road through the enormous snow drifts. It was with the great est exerti ons that we succeeded and some were awfully frost bitten. Whe n we got thr ough the banks to our inexpressible joy we say the valley o f the Arkansa s below, where the ground was bare. The dropping spirits o f the men reviv ed and they soon accended to the plains below where the y were comparative ly comfortable. From here the command had good weathe r and pleasant trave ling to Pueblo, their destination for the remainde r of the winter. We arr ived on the 24th of Dec and found the detachmen t of Captain Brown and Hig gins as well as could be expected and enjoyin g themselves with some comfo rtable quarters. Lieutenant Willis got Gilbe rt Hunt, son of Captain Jeffe rson Hunt, that he accompanied the familie s to Pueblo, to go back to Mr . Turley's and bring up the sick he had lef t there. They started the 27 a nd the same day the Lieutenant started fo r Bent's Fort a distance of 15 m iles. He arrived on the 2nd and was ver y kindly received by Captain Enos , commander of the fort and acting quar ter-master, who furnished 60 day r ations for the company and transportat ion to Pueblo with Ox teams. On Lie utenant Willis' return the detachmen t went to work preparing their quarte rs, each mess to build a log cabin.