_Wallace Hyrum DENNIS __+
_Danniel Stewart DENNIS _|
| |_Gladys Thelma STEWART _+
|
|--Amelia DENNIS
|
| _Martin Amos RIGBY _____
|_Joyce RIGBY ____________|
|_Cora ARCHIBALD ________
_Howard Norman DENNIS __+
_Stewart Norman DENNIS _|
| |_Edna Ludema BIRTCHER __+
|
|--Eric Norman DENNIS
|
| _Walter Daley MOOSEMAN _
|_Kaye MOOSEMAN _________|
|_Muril PRESCOTT ________
_Max Tuft JENSON _______+
_Howard Bert JENSON _|
| |_Marjorie Diane DENNIS _+
|
|--Stefanie Ann JENSON
|
| _James Belden LYNN _____
|_Diana LYNN _________|
|_Zelma HATCH ___________
____________________
_John MOORE _________|
| |____________________
|
|--William L. MOORE
|
| _Riley STEWART _____
|_Sarah Jane STEWART _|
|_Martha Jane BOYCE _+
__
__|
| |__
|
|--Riley STEWART
|
| __
|__|
|__
[1]
BIRTH: 4 Jan 1810, Overton County, Tennessee; SOURCE: Joyce Lindstrom, Van Hoosen Book.
!MARRIAGE: Riley Stewart was married to Jane Mills on 19 Jan 1833 by Samuel Woo MG. #25-967. SOURCE: Madison Co., Ill., Marriage Records index, 1813-1882, 929.377386 SHE, Shelley & Wasser. Jane Gentry had previously been married to Washington Tandy Mills. Researcher: Georgenia Stewart
The following is taken from History of the Church, Vol.3, Ch.6, p. 56: Some two weeks previous to this, Judge Morin, who lived at Mill Port, informed John D. Lee and Levi Stewart, that it was determined by the mob to prevent the "Mormons" from voting at the election on the sixth day of August, 1938. They hoped to thereby elect Colonel William P. Peniston who led the mob in Clay county. He also advised them to go prepared for an attack, to stand their ground, and have their rights.
The brethren, hoping better things, gave little heed to Judge Morin's friendly counsel, and repaired to the polls at Gallatin, the shire town of Davies county, without weapons.
About eleven o'clock a. m., William P. Peniston mounted a barrel, and harangued the electors for the purpose of exciting them against the Mormons. He said, "The Mormon leaders are a set of horse thieves, liars and counterfeiters. You know they profess to heal the sick, and cast out devils, and you all know that is a lie." He further said, "The members of the Church were dupes, and not too good to take a false oath on any common occasion. They would steal and I do not consider property safe where they were." He was opposed to their settling in Davies county. Then he said, "If they suffered the Mormons to vote, the people would soon lose their suffrage." Then addressing the Saints he said, "I headed a mob to drive you out of Clay County and would not prevent your being mobbed now."
Richard (called Dick) Welding, the mob bully, just drunk enough for the occasion began a discussion with Brother Samuel Brown by saying, "The Mormons were not allowed to vote in Clay county no more than the Negroes." He attempted to strike Brown who gradually retreated, parrying the blow with his umbrella. Welding continued to press upon him calling him a liar, etc. Meanwhile trying to repeat the blow on Brown, Perry Durphy sought to suppress the difficulty. Durphy seized Welding's arm, then five or six of the mobbers seized Durphy. They commenced beating him with clubs, boards, and crying, "kill him, kill him." A general scuffle commenced with fists and clubs, the mobbers being about ten to one of the brethren. Abraham Nelson was knocked down and had his clothes torn off. While trying to get up he was attacked again. His brother, Hyrum Nelson, ran in amongst them and knocked the mobbers down with the butt of his whip. Riley Stewart struck Welding on the head, which brought him to the ground. The mob cried out, "Dick Welding's dead; who killed Dick?" They fell upon Riley, knocked him down, kicked him, crying, "Kill him, kill him, shoot him". They would have killed him had not John L. Butler sprung in amongst them and knocked them down. During about five minutes it was one succession of knockdowns. Finally the mob dispersed to get firearms.
Very few of the brethren voted. Riley, escaping across the river, had his wounds dressed, and returned home. He never regained his health after this beating.
(Three generations later, Beatrice Bastian, a great granddaughter of John L. Butler would marry into the Stewart family)
The following account of the election is taken from Margery Browne Cottam's history of Levi Stewart. Levi is Riley's brother.
When the Prophet and the leading authorities of the Church gave themselves up to the State Militia in an attempt to save the people from massacre, the rest of the male members were held as prisoners at Far West to be tried for "treason". Levi Stewart was among those who were forces to march double file and surrender themselves and their arms. Then each one was made to sign a treaty giving to the State all his real estate and property to "pay the expenses of the War against the Saints". Each family was to be allowed barely enough to move out of the state. It took weeks to examine separately such a large body of people and the men were held prisoners all this time.
One night as they were standing by a log fire trying to keep warm, a ruffian came up to Riley Stewart and said, "I saw you knock Dick Welding down election day at Gallatin." With this he sprang for an ax that had been driven tight into a log. Riley ran, but when the man succeeded in getting it loose, he threw it with all his might. Fortunately the ax struck Riley only a glancing blow on the head, not killing him but wounding him severely. The night after he was wounded, Riley broke through the guard and escaped to his wife's people in Carroll County, 50 miles to the south. Soon he was warned that an armed mob had formed when they heard of his arrival and intended to take him out, tar and feather him and whip him. He attempted to escape but they caught him, and holding two pistols at his head forced him to take off his coat, kneel down, and receive fifty lashes. These were given with such force that they cut through his linen shirt and into the flesh. Then he returned to Far West. The men were locked in a schoolhouse without rations much of the time. Their grain fields and gardens were thrown open to soldiers and horses. Their stock was shot down for sport before their very eyes.
BIOGRAPHY: As long as Riley stayed in Missouri, the mobs sought his life, so he moved back to Madison Co., Illinois where he remained until he moved to Utah after 1850. He's found in the 1840 and 1845 census of Madison Co., Illinois and the 1856 Utah State Census living in Provo, Utah. He moved to Goshen, Utah where he ran a stage station. He died in Goshen, Utah. Source: Joyce Lindstrom