Samuel S. Gully
Birth: May 27, 1809 Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, USA, Son of Robert Gully and Martha
Death: Jul. 4, 1849 Crossing Plains, Nebraska, USA
Married:
#1) Jane Jones Frilick (22 Jun 1801New Bern, Craven, NC-19 Mar 1881 Clover Valley, Lincoln, NV), 9 Oct 1833 Johnston, NC
173. 9 Oct 1833- Marriage Contract between Samuel Gully & Jane Frilick of JoCo for divers good causes, both parties thereunto moving, but being mindful of Est. & prop. Of Jane Frilick... in consideration of sum $1, pd. By Daniel Boon, sell negroes Laner & her 2 ch. Candis & Lizzy... also a bond by her brother James Frilick for the sum of $2,750.... Wit: C Christopher Signed Jane Frilick, Saml Gully, Daniel Boon Nov. Ct 1833
- Harriet Jane Gully 30 Apr 1840 Lawrence, MS – 1888 San Bernardino, SB, CA
* The fourth wife of Isaac Smith Potter (Sr.) They married on August 2, 1859 in Salt Lake City. Harriet came to Utah, at the age of 9, with her father, Samuel Gully. The company was the Samuel Gully/Orson Spencer Company (1849). They reportedly traveled in a group of 7 people:
1. Samuel Gully, 40 years old, born 27 May, 1809.
2. Jane Jones Frilick Gully, born on May 22, 1794. She died before April 13, 1881. She was probably Samuel’s first wife.
3. Martha Gully, 13 years old, born April 1836, died 15 December 1851. Martha is Harriet's sister.
4. Ovanda Fuller Gully, born 27 July, 1822, died 24 December 1856. This is a plural wife of Samuel Gully.
5. Samuel Gully, infant, born 1849. This is the son of Samuel Gully and Ovanda Fuller Gully.
6. Harriet Gully, 9 years old.
7. Unknown
Note that there is a reference in the Brigham Young Company in 1848 to a Sarah Ann Fuller Gully, which says: “Her husband Samuel Gully remained in Winter Quarters and died en route to Utah in 1849”.
#2) Ovanda Fuller(27 Jul 1822 Providence, Saratoga, NY-24 Dec 1856), 27 Jan 1846, Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska
- Henrietta Gully 4 Mar 1845 Nauvoo, Hancock, Il – 29 Aug 1847 (died of consumption) Winter Quarters/Florence, Douglas, Ne #215 Mormon Pioneer Winter Quarters Cemetery
#3) Hannah Elizabeth Fuller(24 Feb 1827Nauvoo, Hancock, Il-10 Aug 1847 Plains, Nebraska), 9 Jan 1847, Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska
#4) Sarah (Sally) Ann Fuller(24 Oct 1815Saratoga Co, NY-15 Mar 1897 St George, UT), 29 Jan 1847, Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska
http://www.josephsmithspolygamy.com/JSWives/GeorgeDSmith-ToddCompton/ToddComptonsEightPossibleWives.html
4. MRS. G*****:
● John C. Bennett, The History of the Saints, Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842, 256.[5]
[5] Fawn Brodie asserts that Mrs. G***** was a woman named Sally Ann Fuller Gulley.[5] Research shows that Sally Ann Fuller did not marry Samuel Gully (not “Gulley”) until January 29, 1847 in Winter Quarters. (Thomas Milton Tinney, The Royal Family of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. Salt Lake City: Tinney-Greene Family Organization, 1973, 114.) Gully died in 1849 and Sally Ann went on to marry Elijah Knapp Fuller on September 8, 1850. Hence, John C. Bennett would not have known Sally Ann Fuller as Mrs. G***** during his stay in Nauvoo. (Fawn Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, 2nd rev. ed. New York, 1971, 469.) Brodie writes that “the Nauvoo Temple Record states that on January 29, 1846 [Sally Ann Fuller] was sealed to Joseph Smith Jr., “for eternity” and to [Samuel] Gulley [not Gully] “for time.” In fact, the Nauvoo temple record contains no such entry. See Lisle Brown, Nauvoo Sealings, Adoptions, and Anointings: a Comprehensive Register of Persons Receiving LDS Temple Ordinances, 1841-1846, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2006, 120, 379.
Benjamin Freeman Bird, Son and Father of Pioneers by Julie Cannon Markham
Late in the fall of 1840, Charles left his family in Nauvoo and served a short mission to North Carolina where he converted several people. Charles was known as a “fluent speaker, with a very likeable disposition and a strong testimony.” It is probable that Samuel Gully and his wife Jane were converted at this time. They arrived in Nauvoo in 1840 from North Carolina with a young son and daughter and an infant who had been born during their trip to Illinois.
Daniel Tyler “Incidents of Experience”
Chapter 4
Mississippi 1841-1842
I now had to go out in my district and fill appointments which I had made; but when I returned at the end of two weeks, I learned that Mr. Knight had walked nearly half a mile and had been baptized. A goodly number of others had also been baptized, and we organized a branch of the Church with Samuel L. Gully (known as Lieutenant Gully, in the history of the Mormon Battalion), as presiding elder. All apostatized shortly afterwards excepting Elder Gully and a few others who had believed and were anxious to get baptized before this remarkable case of healing occurred, thus proving the truth of the revelation which says, "Those who seek signs shall have signs, but not unto salvation." Even the man who received this manifestation of God's power went back to the beggarly elements of the world, although he still bore testimony to the fact that he was healed, but said he "did not know whether Joseph Smith was a true prophet or an impostor."
Samuel Gully was the owner of a Nauvoo store that also served as a meeting house, located on the corner of Parley and Hyde streets (E.C.I.F.)
Interestingly, Jane Gully was listed as one of the few female craftsmen, working on the temple until its completion. Entries for
Jane Gully showed she worked in February, March, April and May of 1846. Her work must have been critical, as most of the members of the Church had left Nauvoo by then.
Despite Brigham Young’s support of the battalion, many of the members of the Church were suspicious, feeling that the federal government had not been sympathetic to their plight over the previous decade. SAMUEL GULLY is listed as Second Lieutenant. (Tyler’s list, SAMUEL L. GULLY, Third Lieutenant) Resignation accepted October 19, 1846, at Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Is also listed as 3rd Lieutenant under Davis; The Historical Record Volumes 7-9 by Andrew Jensen). Samuel and his wife Jane and plural wife, Ovanda Fuller, had earlier received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple, and their family would later intertwine with the Bird family. In a puzzle I have not been able to figure out, Jane was not sealed to Samuel in the Nauvoo Temple, although
Samuel was married and sealed to Ovanda. Not only is there no record of this sealing in existing Nauvoo Temple records, but Jane was later sealed to Benjamin Freeman Bird in 1852, an ordinance that likely would not have been performed if she had been sealed to Samuel.
On August 6, 1846 Samuel Gully was appointed as Assistant Quartermaster because there had been complaints about Quartermaster Sebert Shelton.
Saturday, August 22, 1846
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas:
James Pace and Samuel Gully arrived back at Fort Leavenworth. Colonel James Allen, the commanding officer of the Mormon Battalion, who was very sick, asked to meet with Quartermaster Samuel Gully in the afternoon about some private business. James Pace was assigned to watch over Colonel Allen while he sleeping. Towards the evening, Colonel Allen was moved to his old quarters. James Pace and Samuel Gully went along. The weather became cooler and Colonel Allen took a turn for the worse. He could not speak. His niece attended to him during the night while Brothers Pace and Gully sat up with him. At one point Colonel Allen called Samuel Gully by name. Those were the last words that Colonel Allen would speak.
August 22, the battalion soon learned that Colonel Allen, who had remained at the fort because of illness, had died. Samuel Gully, promoted to lieutenant in the battalion, had remained at Fort Leavenworth with him and was at his side when he passed away. August 23, in the morning, at 6 a.m., Lieutenant Colonel James Allen, the commanding officer of the Mormon Battalion, died at Fort Leavenworth. Immediately, men in the army started to jockey for position to take over the command of the battalion. Lieutenant Andrew Jackson Smith and Doctor George B. Sanderson were pushing Quartermaster Samuel Gully to leave, to rejoin the battalion. Brother Gully resisted this request, stating that he was not under their command and he would not leave until he was ready. It appears from reading these journal entries that internal politics played a part in Samuel Gully’s removal as the company quartermaster. Being offended at this, he resigned his commission. On hearing of these orders, Lt. Smith and Dr. Sanderson changed their tunes and “in very smooth language, and with much sophistry” asked James Pace to take a letter from each of them to Brigham Young. James Pace also took a letter from Samuel Gully.
Prsdt B Young
My dear Sir
It becomes my painfull duty to announce to you the death of Lt. Col. Allen; he died just at 6 oclock this morning, with congestive fever, as the doctors say. He was sick eight days. This Sir is to us a very great loss in our present situation, as he was a good friend to us, as well as to our people.
We are here alone, and on one to counsel with. Whose hands we are to fall in, is yet to us unknown. Our men having left this post, makes it our right to make our own officers, but as to its policy for us to so, is to me doubtfull, until we get to Genl. Kearney.
I sat up with him [Col. Allen] last night and in the night he requested me to lift him & called me by name, and that was the last word he ever spoke.”
Samuel Gully
President Young wrote a letter in reply to Brother Samuel Gully. This letter was full of warmth and encouragement. He explained clearly the view of the brethren about the succession of command issue. Colonel Allen had said “that if he fell in battle, or was sick, or disabled by any means, the command would devolve on the ranking officer, which would be the Capt of Company A, and B, and so one, according to letter. Consequently the command must devolve on Captain Jefferson Hunt, whose duty we suppose to be to take the Battalion to Bent’s Fort, or wherever he has received marching order for, and there wait further orders from General Kearney.” Unfortunately, this letter would not reach Brother Gully in time.
Wednesday, August 26, 1846
Mormon Battalion in Kansas:
The battalion broke camp at 7 a.m. and marched over hills covered with beds of limestone. John Steele wrote: “The eye can wander for miles upon the vast extent of country uninhabited, save by the red man of the western wilds.”
While crossing Bluff Creek, one of Company C’s wagons, carrying a number of sick and women, tipped over. The water was several feet deep and the banks were high. Rescuers quickly jumped into the creek and pulled the passengers from the water. Some were struggling to get their heads above the water. Luckily, no one ended up hurt. Daniel Tyler helped to turn the wagon right side up and later caught a severe cold which he blamed on the incident. The soldiers continued their march and camped along Little John Creek after a journey of about thirteen miles.
At 5 p.m., Quartermaster Samuel Gully arrived from Fort Leavenworth with the sad, shocking news regarding the death of their leader, Colonel James Allen. His loss was deeply felt by all the members of the battalion. William Hyde wrote: “This information struck a damper to our feelings as we considered him a worthy man, and from the kind treatment which the battalion had received from him, we had begun to look upon him as our friend.” Colonel Allen had “listened to the testimony of the servants of God, and had heard them bear record to the truth of the great work in which we were engaged, and from his appearance, his feelings were enlisted in our favor.”
William Coray commented, “Suffice it to say, that it caused more lamentation from us than the loss of a Gentile ever did before. . . . Capt. J. Allen was a good man, he stood up for our rights better than many of our brethren . . . was kind to the families journeying with us, fed private teams at public expense . . . In short, he was an exception among officers of the U.S. army.”
The question naturally arose in the minds of the soldiers: Who should now lead the battalion? Some of the men did not feel that Captain Jefferson Hunt should assume command. They wanted a man with more military experience. As William Hyde put it, they “were left in very peculiar circumstances.” Adjutant George P. Dykes was of the opinion that since they were enlisted by a U.S. officer, the right of command belonged to an officer of the regular army. Captain Jesse Hunter and Adjutant Dykes were instructed to examine the law on the subject and to report back to the officers.
Lieut. Samuel L. Gully of Company E was a great friend to the men of the Battalion. He had taken a stand against the non-Mormon officers who were ill-treating the men. When two of the men, John D. Lee and Howard Egan started for Council Bluffs with the checks of the Battalion, it was thought an opportune time for Lieut. Gully to resign and return to his family. Accompanying these men and Roswell Stevens, he left to join his family. The next year he started for Salt Lake City, but died on the plains.
May 4, 1847 A meeting was held in the evening at John D. Lee's house. Samuel Gully was appointed as the Summer Quarters clerk. May 20, Several men went on a fishing expedition. They included Brother Burgess, Allen Stout, J. Anderson, J. Woolsey, Joseph Busby and Samuel Gully. They had "moderate" success. David Young found signs that a Sioux Indian had stolen one of John D. Lee's horses. June 18, 1847 John D. Lee was asked to go quickly to Samuel Gully to administer to him. Brother Gully was cramped up and nearly dying. He soon recovered after the blessing. Others in Summer Quarters had a similar illness.
Heritage Gateways
Summer Quarters, Nebraska 5-4-1847:
A meeting was held in the evening at John D. Lee's house. Several resolutions were adopted. M.M. Sanders was to herd all of the cattle for $1.50 per day, payment in crops in the fall. All the sheep were to be penned up at night. A bridge was to be built over Mire Creek on Saturday for the cattle to pass over. Samuel Gully was appointed as the Summmer Quarters clerk. A gun fired three times was to be an alarm of distress.
Summer Quarters, Nebraska 5-20-1847:
Several men went on a fishing expedition. They included Brother Burgess, Allen Stout, J. Anderson, J. Woolsey, Joseph Busby and Samuel Gully. They had "moderate" success. David Young found signs that a Sioux Indian had stolen one of John D. Lee's horses.
6-27-1847 - Crockett - Summer Quarters, Nebraska:
A Sabbath meeting was held at John D. Lee's house. Isaac Morley, visiting from Winter Quarters, addressed the settlement on the subject of sel government. He was followed by talks from John D. Lee and Samuel Gully, and F.W. Cox. After the meeting was closed, several children were brought forth to be blessed. Isaac Morely gave instructions regarding the ordinance of blessing children. All the names, ages, and birthplaces were carefully recorded. Afterward, a rich dinner festival was given by the Lees.
About noon, October 19th, we took leave of John D. Lee and Howard Egan, who started with our checks for Council Bluffs, being accompanied by Lieutenant Samuel L. Gulley, ex-quartermaster of the Battalion, and Roswell Stevens.
The stand Lieutenant Gully took against Lieutenants Smith and Dykes and Dr. Sanderson, at Fort Leavenworth, and subsequently had created such a prejudice among the non-Mormon officers that it was thought best for him to resign and return home. He had however established his character as a brave, noble-minded and undeviating friend to the Battalion, in whose memory the very name of Samuel L. Gully is associated with all the noble characteristics that grace a model officer. He would have sacrificed his life rather than be untrue to his friends. With a hearty shake of the hand and “God bless you, Brother Gully, and give you a safe journey to the bosom of your family and the church,” we bade him adieu and never saw him after.
Samuel Gully, John D. Lee and Howard Egan arrived back in Council Bluffs on November 20th, 1847. There Samuel was reunited with his two wives. Samuel had married Margaret thirteen years previously in North Carolina before missionaries found them. They had a son and two daughters. An 1842 census taken in Nauvoo lists Samuel and Jane Gully, and their three children, James, Martha and Harriet, all under eight. Just before the saints were driven from Nauvoo, Samuel had taken a plural wife, twenty-three year old Ovanda Fuller, who was from a large family of New York converts. Within two months of Samuel’s return from the battalion, he married Ovanda’s older sister Sarah, who at the age of thirty-two was considered a spinster.
In March, families from Mt. Pisgah and other Iowa way-stations began arriving in Winter Quarters in preparation to launch their trek from the Elkhorn River, just west of the Missouri, as soon as enough grass for their cattle had sprouted. About this time President Young realized that he could not get the families of the battalion members west and properly care for them once in the
valley, since there were no provisions there and the families were too poor to take their own provisions. He made the decision to keep these families in Winter Quarters until the Great Basin was settled. Samuel Gully and other men were asked by President Young to remain behind with John D. Lee and oversee the community farm in Winter Quarters.
Samuel Gully’s wife Sarah Ann gave birth to a son in the spring of 1848, but the baby only lived a few weeks. Her sister Ovanda gave birth to a son a year later. Jane Gully’s ten-year-old son died about this time.
Ten companies left Winter Quarters for the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1849. Forty-year old Samuel Gully captained the first company of over a hundred wagons and three hundred people. Traveling with the company were thirty pigs, sixty-two chickens, almost five hundred oxen, fifty cats and dogs, three hundred cows, thirty horses, one hundred sheep, various fowl, and one hive with one hundred and two bees. Samuel left Winter Quarters ahead of two large companies led by apostles Ezra T. Benson and George A. Smith, which traveled together. Upon reaching the Platte River towards the end of June, Samuel wrote these two men a letter and placed it in what he thought would be an obvious spot so they would know how far ahead he was.
Natives intercepted the letter, unaware of its contents, but they did get the letter into proper hands and it made its way to Salt Lake Valley the next year. Samuel wrote that the company was in “tolerable health,” although he mentioned that one man had died from cholera, a severe disease spread by contaminated food or water. He added, “I was taken quite sick by former exposure, and cold taken and settled over my system, in consequence of a hurt that I received at the Horn.”
Another member of the company wrote that earlier while ferrying the wagons over a branch of the Elkhorn River, their raft began sinking. Captain Gully was assisting others in unloading cotton when the bail fell on him, pinning him between the timbers of the raft. After receiving a Priesthood blessing, he seemed to quickly recover from his injury.
Presdt. B. Young
Dear Sir
Allow me to introduce to your acquaintance Genl. G Blodget the bearer of this. Genl. G. accidentally fell into our company at the Mo. River and has traveled with us to this point. he now leaves us with his pack animals & leaves 4 wagons & Teams with the remainder of his Men, all in my charge. Genl. G has offered many friendly favors while we have been on the road and has acted the part of a Gentleman; any favors rendered him by yourself will [be] duly reciprocated by your friend.
I am sorry to inform you of the choleras being in our company. We have had several cases and lost 3 men of our company[.] Bro. Nelson Mc[C]Arty died at the Loup fork, Ambrose Kellogg at Prarie Creek, a Mr. [Moses] Hale on the Platt[e] 7 miles from this point. My desire is that we may no longer be troubled with this sad disease. Since we left Winter Quarters which was the morning of the 7th June the Horn on the 11th the rains have been so continued that it has prevented us from moving faster than we have and now we have had two nights of as heavy rains as I most ever saw, the Grass is Good, but the Roads most Horrid
Messrs [James A] Livingston & [Charles A] Kinkead is now with us, with the Goods mentioned in my former letter, and they wish me to renew the wish for you to have them a House ready for them to put there Goods in when they arrive. They are extremely anxious to return to St Louis this fall in order that they make an early start the next spring with at least one Hundred thousand Dollars worth of Goods. The season is now so far advanced that they fear if they have to go through to the Vally & then have to retail them out, it will be too late for them to return and they are therefore willing to sell them sooner if possible and say if you or any other person will meet them this side of the South Pass they would sell them for much less than they would in the Vally say at least five thousand Dollars. They have with them near $30,000 at St Louis cost consisting of a Genl. Stock of Dry Goods, a very heavy stock of Hardware for building purposes, with Groceries &c &c
Bro. Orson Spencer is now in our company and from the best I can learn has money with him sufficient to pay near half the amount. They will take Gold Dust at a Good rate
SAMU[E]L GULLY
Pr WM. HYDE
July 5th 1849
President Brigham Young
Sir
Capt Gully after writing the above left it uncealed with a view, if possible of obtaining, news from Ft. Childs which might be of interest to you, but on yesterday the 4th he was taken with the Cholera, and died this morning, the 5th inst at 5 O.c[.] on which account I have signed his name above and forward to you this sheet. The Camp is now in tolerable health. We now expect to start on our Journey in the morning, have laid here two days
Yours with respect
Wm Hyde
After crossing the river, which took six hours, he added to the letter, mentioning that one of his wives suffered a severe attack of cholera the previous night, but that she was well again. He promised to leave another note further along the trail and signed the letter, “Most respectfully, Your friend and servant, Sam’l Gully.”
The following note was found on a grave by a later passing Company of Saints.
27 Jun 1849 Mrs. Gully had quite a severe attack last night but I took it in time, and she is well again. We are now all safe on the South side of the Loup, no accident occurred as we crossed all in about six hours, (quick time.) When you reach the main Platte you will find another note from me.
Most respectfully,
Your friend and serv't.
SAM'L GULLY.
Died of Cholera in the First "Camp of Israel," on the morning of the 22d of June, 1849, Elder Nelson McCarty, aged 37 years.
From the journals of G. A. Smith and E. T. Benson:
On our journey thus far we have passed seven graves…….Also Samuel Gully, captain of one hundred, in Brother O. Spencer’s company of Saints, lies 185 miles from Winter Quarters, in the open prairie, his grave neatly tufted over; died of cholera, July 5th, 1849, aged 39 years.
Traveling with his company was a freight train operated by James Livingston and Charles Kinkead. This train had left St. Louis earlier that year, carrying fabric, sugar, nails, and other items of trade intended for California. Realizing they couldn’t get to California and still return to St. Louis that fall because of the traveling conditions, they proposed that Brigham Young send
merchants to meet them east of the Rockies. There they would sell their five tons of goods at bargain prices. Since many of the Mormons had gold from California, there was cash available to buy these items. Captain Gully wrote a letter to President Young on July 3rd expressing the wishes of Mr. Livingston and Mr. Kinkead, stating that they had acted as gentlemen. Captain
Gully mentioned two more deaths from cholera and described the terrible roads from heavy rain.
Samuel was buried alongside the trail, leaving three grieving widows and three children: Ovanda’s infant son, and Jane’s two daughters. It appears that Jane and her daughters, Martha and Harriet, returned to Winter Quarters. Perhaps Jane was the wife mentioned who had suffered from cholera, and in her weakened state, she felt she could not make it to the Valley that year.
William Hyde was appointed to lead the company after Samuel’s death. Shortly afterwards, Brother Hyde also became deathly ill. His wife Elizabeth recorded that Mr. Kinkead and Mr. Livingston used medicines from their freight train to aid in his recovery, likely having attempted to save Samuel Gully’s life, also. The company reached the Salt Lake Valley at the end of
September.
From the Milo Andres Company: 3 Aug 1849 morning rainey, did not start till 8 O clock, fair through the day, road very bad for eight miles when we came to dry ground, also to the grave of Samuel Gully who died of Cholera 5th July 1849. he was well known to most of our camp and thus coming to his grave by the way side, before we had heard of his Death Caused a general halt. and we gazed with feelings of emotion on the spot of ground that contained his body. this evening we encamped again on the prairie having brought a little wood with us. traveled about 15 miles today.
Some time during this winter, seventy-two year-old Benjamin Freeman Bird married the fifty year- old widow Jane Gully, taking her and thirteen-year-old Martha and nine-year-old Harriet into his home. Together they prepared to cross the plains the following summer.
Jane Gully Bird’s fifteen year old daughter Martha had died just before the previous Christmas (1851). Benjamin and Jane, with Jane’s eleven-year-old daughter Harriet, then moved to Springville.
It was interesting to learn that Ovanda Fuller, one of the widows of Samuel Gully, remarried soon after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. She and her husband settled in Springville, but she died at this time, leaving a seven-year-old son she had with Samuel, and two new little boys. Her husband raised Samuel with his own sons before taking two plural wives in 1859. Ovanda’s sister Sarah Ann also remarried, divorced, and then remarried again into a polygamous family.
Jane Frilick Gully Bird is shown living with Maribah Woods on the 1880 Census in Clover Valley, “Bird, Jane, 85, boarder, widow cancer of face, [birth] South Carolina.” A brief mention of Jane is included in a biography of Maribah and her husband Lyman, titled, The Woods Family of Clover Valley, Nevada 1869 - 1979, by Orilla Woods Haven, (copy found in BYU Special Collections BX 8670.1 .W864h 1979, ) “On other occasions the Woods home became a home for the unfortunate and homeless. A member of the initial migration into Clover Valley was Jane (Grandma) Gully, wo had been sealed to Maribah Ann's grandfather, Benjamin F. Bird. she had been taken into the famiy by Lyman and Maribah. An old lady at the time, she was given a home and provided with all her needs until her death at an advanced age.”
Benjamin Freeman Bird, Son and Father of Pioneers by Julie Cannon Markham
Despite Brigham Young’s support of the battalion, many of the members of the Church were suspicious, feeling that the federal government had not been sympathetic to their plight over the previous decade. However, William Bird, perhaps with the influence of his older brother Charles, enlisted. By July 10th, four companies were organized. Assigned to Company B along with William were Henry Bigler, Albert Smith and Guy Keyser. The company elected Jesse D. Hunter as their captain. Brother Hunter’s wife Lydia traveled with them as a laundress. Joining other companies were John Roylance, a British convert, leaving his wife and six children, and Samuel Gully. Brother Roylance, his wife Mary Ann, Samuel and his wife Jane and plural wife, Ovanda Fuller, had earlier received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple, and their families would later intertwine with the Bird families. In a puzzle I have not been able to figure out, Jane was not sealed to Samuel in the Nauvoo Temple, although
Samuel was married and sealed to Ovanda. Not only is there no record of this sealing in existing Nauvoo Temple records, but Jane was later sealed to Benjamin Freeman Bird in 1852, an ordinance that likely would not have been performed if she had been sealed to Samuel.
