William Washington was the son of Thomas and Weatha Weller Potter. He crossed the plains with the Mormon Pioneers with his wife Sarah Ann Whitney Potter in the Edward Hunter-Jacob Foutz Company 1847. He was the father of six children:Philena Mary, William George, Gardner Godfry, Elijah John,Sarah Ann, and Weatha Elizabeth. William was with the Gunnison Party surveying for a place in Utah where the Union Pacific Railroad could come through when they were attacked by Indians and killed. This was known as the Gunnison Massacre. He was a man of strong faith in his religion and a love for his family. He is preceded in death by one daughter. William's body was taken back to Manti, Utah by his brother Gardner and is buried in an unmarked grave just south of Isaac Morley's grave in a patch of grass..Additional information:Attack and massacre 2 small markers at the site, 2008The weather was beginning to turn "cold and raw" with snow flurries and Captain Gunnison sought to speed up mapping before returning to winter quarters. At Lake Sevier, the team was divided into two detachments. On the morning of October 26, 1853, Gunnison and the eleven men in his party were attacked by a band of Pahvants (Ute.) In the resulting massacre, Gunnison and seven of his men were killed. Several survivors of the attack alerted the other detachment of the survey team who rode to aid Gunnison and his party. An additional survivor of the attack and the bodies of the victims were retrieved later that day.[4] The remains of the eight dead were found in a mutilated state. Killed with Gunnison were Richard H. Kern (topographer and artist), F. Creuzfeldt (botanist), William Potter (a Mormon guide), Private Caulfield, Private Liptoote, Private Mehreens, and John Bellows (camp roustabout.).[2][5][6] The site of the massacre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[7]