Copied from Early Farr West Residents: Their Biographies and Their Homes, The Families of Daniel Berry Rawson and His Wives Nancy Boss and Mary Melvina Taylor. Compiled by Brian L. Taylor, 2008.
Daniel Berry Rawson was born 15 Dec. 1827 at Randolph County, Indiana, the son of Horace Strong Rawson and Elizabeth Coffin. In 1831 his parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. . . In 1832 the family moved to Jackson County, Missouri, where they purchased land near Big Blue Creek After fencing and clearing the land, they planted a crop; however, they never harvested it. In the fall of that year persecution increased, forcing the family to leave their crops and move to Lafayette County. Daniel and his oldest sister made the journey on foot with no shoes, walking across the frozen prairie ground.
Renting an old log home and four or five acres of land from a Mr. Barnard, Daniel’s father worked and paid for the use of the property. He planted a crop and felt encouraged by the prospects of a good crop. However, howling and threatening mobs forced them to move across the Missouri River to Clay County, leaving a crop that they were unable to sell. Having no shelter, they stuck willows into the sandy bank and stretched sheets over them for temporary shelter for the family until the father was able to arrange for a small place on the bluff of the river. Here they built a home during the winter of 1835. The next spring they sold their property and rented a home and farm, where they raised a good crop. Then in the spring of 1836 they moved again, this time into Caldwell County near Far West, Mob violence caused them to move from one place to another until the spring of 1839, when Governor Boggs issued his infamous extermination order. At that time the Rawson family had to leave behind all that they could not load into a repaired wagon to leave the state.
In the latter part of 1839 their family arrived at Quincy, Illinois, then moved on to the area near Lima, where a number of the saints built a fairly large settlement. They stayed there until the spring of 1841, when they moved into Nauvoo and built another home. For two years the family enjoyed relative peace.
In 1842 their father bought some property in Yelmore, moved there from Nauvoo, fenced their farm, cleared the land and planted crops for two years. However, after mob activities increased and the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were slain, the Rawsons were forced to leave. Following is his account of some terrifying experiences:
“Joseph Etlerr drove down from Nauvoo with a team and moved the family and household goods up to Nauvoo, leaving part of our stock, swine and fowls behind. A few days after we returned to get what we had left. We found our house in ashes, swine, fowls and sheep and stock carried away. Fencing being hauled away. The men who were hauling the rails promised to pay father for them.
“During the winter of 1846 I went to try and get pay for them. When I got in sight of the house his dogs scented me and commenced barking. I saw three or four men come out of the house. I saw they were rank mob, Josh Vance being one of them. When I saw who was there, I dreaded to approach but they had seen me. I thought it was best to go up to the house.
“I asked the man who had got the rails (I forget his name) if he could let me have a little meat for my father as he was very destitute. He at first denied me, but after a few minutes of reconsideration he let me have one small bacon, ham and a few pounds of salt fish. While I was in his house I looked out and saw a large flock of geese that my mother had raised. I also noticed as he moved the stacks of boards overhead to get the ham (his meat was hanging in the loft) the large hams and midlines of a very large hog and a lot of other small sows and midlines. It struck me forcibly, there are the remains of my father’s large sows and several other things that were taken from our home.
“I put my meat and fish in my sack and was glad to get away. It was sundown and began to get dusk. After I had gone a short distance from the house the mob began to shoot off their guns. Whether they shot at me, or whether they intended to scare me I could not tell. Be assured I did not stop to see but traveled as fast as I could until I was out of sight. Then I left the road and traveled through the woods and arrived safe at my destination and congratulated myself that I got off as well as I did.
“On the 20th of November 1845 myself and a young man by the name of James Woodland made preparations for making shingles. By getting our tools and some provisions together we carried them to a vacant house located on the main road leading from Bear Creek to Nauvoo. At night another young man by the name of Gilbert Hunt came to our camp after supper. He proposed that we go over to Solomon Hancock’s barn to sleep. We agreed. We picked our bedding and went to the barn a half mile down the road, climbed up onto the hay, made our beds and were soon asleep. Near twelve o’clock I was awakened by the crackling and popping of fire. There had been a stack of straw stacked up in an old rail pen. It was the oak timber that made the popping.
“I looked out and saw the light of fire, woke up the other boys. We climbed up and out in quick time. There was a lot of dry straw in the barnyard. It was afire and burning near the barn. In a very short time the barn would have been on fire. George Hancock was awake, looked out and saw the light. He awakened his father and his family and also brother Edmund Durfey and son. They all came out.
“The horses and stock were all turned out of the barn. All hands went to work raking straw and rubbish to prevent the barn from catching fire. The barn yard was built of logs, so while we were in stooping position the mob did not have a chance to shoot at us but as soon as we straightened up, there was a shrill whistle heard south and answered around the west, then the shooting commenced. The guns roared and the bullets whistled around our heads.
“Solomon Hancock and the boys all ran for their guns but myself and Edmund Durfey. We stood for a short time, then there came a shower of bullets. One struck him hear the collar bone. He fell, a dead man. By this time I thought it best for me to get out of there. I took legging it, as I had to run the length of the barn and stables exposed. They again opened fire on me. The bullets flew like a hail-storm. It was found next morning that bullets had lodged on either side of the gate I had passed through but through the blessings of the Lord, I had passed through unharmed.
“Durfey’s remains were guarded until the next morning when his brother-in-law, David Gardner, came along with a team. We loaded the remains of Durfee on a straw bed. Myself and James Woodland followed as guard to Nauvoo. We washed, shaved and laid him out, sat up with the body during the night. The next day we dug his grave.”