The following comes from:
F.
W. Otterstrom letter to Anthon H. Lund, Church History Catalog, CR 100 394:
Salt Lake City, Dec. 28, 1917.
Pres.
Anthon H. Lund,
Church
Historian, City,
Dear
Brother Lund:
You
no doubt recall the statement of Sister Hamilton, at Cedar City, September 17,
1917, regarding a conversation between her father and the Prophet Joseph Smith,
but I am sending you a transcript of my notes, thinking it may assist you in
making such record as you wish for the Historian’s Office.
Returning
from Saint George the President and his party stopped for lunch in Cedar City,
at the home of Franklin D. Wood. While there we met a Sister Hamilton, daughter
of Priddy Meeks and Sarah Mahurin-Meeks, of Kentucky. In the presence of President
Jos. F. Smith and his party (For personnel see Era, December, 1917) Sister
Hamilton made the following statement, which I recorded in shorthand at the
time:
“My
name is Peggy Jane Meeks-Hamilton. I was born May 8, 1838. I was about six
years of age when the Prophet Joseph Smith was killed. Our home was out from
Nauvoo a little distance on a farm, close to the Kimball farm. Joseph, the Prophet,
used to come out to his farm, which was farther on than my father’s farm. The Prophet
would frequently stop at our home. One day when he called, he was conversing
with my father, Dr. Priddy Meeks. I became interested in this conversation, and
I took my chair, sat down, and listened. I distinctly remember hearing Joseph say:
“We will have to leave Nauvoo.” My father then inquired; “Where will we go?”
The Prophet replied: “We will have to go to the Rocky Mountains.” I could not understand
that he meant by the “Rocky Mountains”; it seemed very strange to me, and I
said to my father: “What is the Rocky Mountains?” “Why,” Father says, “it is a
mountain built of rocks.” I thought: “We can’t live on a mountain of rocks.”
During the round of talk that followed, the Prophet said: “I will never go, but
you will go.” Then Father said: “Well, who will lead the Church, if you do not
go?” The prophet Joseph answered: “Brigham Young.” You know what an uproar
there was by some of the people who caused the division that occurred after;
and it was because of this statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith that my father
was so strong for Brigham Young to lead the Church, after the martyrdom of Joseph
Smith. I sat down and listened to this conversation, like a little girl would
listen to something unusual that attracted her attention.”
Later,
in the course of our conversation, Sister Hamilton made the remark that her
grand-father fought in the Revolution, and that he had settled in Kentucky with
Daniel Boone.
The
foregoing is a verbatim report of the statement by Sister Hamilton at the time and
place aforesaid.
With
respect, I am, sincerely,
Your brother,
[Signed] F. W. Otterstrom.
Further Reading:
