Son of Stephen Peabody Meacham & Dorthy "Dolly" Maria Ransom
Married Martha Jones, 4 Feb 1849, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
Erastus Darwin Meacham was the fifth child of Stephen Peabody Meacham and Dorothy Maria (known as Dolly) Ransom. He was born 20 July, 1826, at Hopkinton, St. Lawrence Co., NY where he lived till he was ten or eleven years old, when his parents, who had been converted to the faith of the Mormons by Stephen's uncle, joined the church and moved, with other relative converts, to Erie County, Pennsylvania.
In 1839 they moved to Springfield, Illinois, where three of the older children were married. Later the family moved to Nauvoo where Erastus D. as a yound man was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and at times, served as body guard to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
After the death of the Prophet while preparations were being made for the westward move, Erastus D. worked as apprentice in the shop of Elisha Jones, a wheelright and blacksmith, who later became father-in-law to Erastus D. and became much interested in the ability of the young apprentice.
In late 1845 or early 1846 Erastus D. left Nauvoo and began the trek across Iowa with what was designated as the "Camp of Israel" by its leader, Brigham Young, and was camped at "Mount Pisgah" when the call came from the government for a battalion of Volunteers to take part in the war with Mexico. Erastus D., being of a venturesome nature, volunteered and on July 16, 1846, was mustered into the army of the United States at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a member of Company D. and with it participated in the now famous march of the "Mormon Battalion".
Just when Erastus D. returned to his folks at the Missouri river the writer does not know, but we do know it was before February 4th, 1849, for at that date he was married at Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Martha Jones the seventeen year old daughter of Elisha Jones, the mechanic withwhom he had worked at Nauvoo.
From this point on history of Erastus Darwin Meacham must also be the history of his wife. It is therefore proper to here introduce her: Martha Jones was born August 7, 1832, in Jefferson Co., Ohio, daughter of Elisha Jones and Margaret Tolbot. She remembered very vividloy the stirring events connected with the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and participated in the hardships endured diring the exodus of Nauvoo and the journey to the West.
On the 17 of December, 1849, at Kanesville, later named Council Bluffs, Iowa, a daughter was born to Erastus D. and Martha and was named Sylia Amaretta. Thus our soldier, hunter-trapper and scout became a tender and devoted husband and father.
In 1851 Erastus crossed the plains for the third and last time, this time with his wife and baby daughter and accompained by his father-in-law and his family. They first settled at little Cottonwood, a few miles south of Salt Lake City, where their second child, William Henry was born December 31, 1851.
The family did not remain long in the Cottonwood settlement for they had made their home in Springville, Utah Co., before their second son, Erastus Darwin Jr. was born, March 17, 1854. Here Erastus had oportunity to demonstrate his ability in dealing with the Indians and in solving the problems wiich they presented for he was working for the American Fur Company in Wyoming between the date of his discharge from the army and his return to Council Bluffs, where he married.
* Mormon Battalion members
Married Martha Jones, 4 Feb 1849, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
Erastus Darwin Meacham was the fifth child of Stephen Peabody Meacham and Dorothy Maria (known as Dolly) Ransom. He was born 20 July, 1826, at Hopkinton, St. Lawrence Co., NY where he lived till he was ten or eleven years old, when his parents, who had been converted to the faith of the Mormons by Stephen's uncle, joined the church and moved, with other relative converts, to Erie County, Pennsylvania.
In 1839 they moved to Springfield, Illinois, where three of the older children were married. Later the family moved to Nauvoo where Erastus D. as a yound man was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and at times, served as body guard to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
After the death of the Prophet while preparations were being made for the westward move, Erastus D. worked as apprentice in the shop of Elisha Jones, a wheelright and blacksmith, who later became father-in-law to Erastus D. and became much interested in the ability of the young apprentice.
In late 1845 or early 1846 Erastus D. left Nauvoo and began the trek across Iowa with what was designated as the "Camp of Israel" by its leader, Brigham Young, and was camped at "Mount Pisgah" when the call came from the government for a battalion of Volunteers to take part in the war with Mexico. Erastus D., being of a venturesome nature, volunteered and on July 16, 1846, was mustered into the army of the United States at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a member of Company D. and with it participated in the now famous march of the "Mormon Battalion".
Just when Erastus D. returned to his folks at the Missouri river the writer does not know, but we do know it was before February 4th, 1849, for at that date he was married at Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Martha Jones the seventeen year old daughter of Elisha Jones, the mechanic withwhom he had worked at Nauvoo.
From this point on history of Erastus Darwin Meacham must also be the history of his wife. It is therefore proper to here introduce her: Martha Jones was born August 7, 1832, in Jefferson Co., Ohio, daughter of Elisha Jones and Margaret Tolbot. She remembered very vividloy the stirring events connected with the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and participated in the hardships endured diring the exodus of Nauvoo and the journey to the West.
On the 17 of December, 1849, at Kanesville, later named Council Bluffs, Iowa, a daughter was born to Erastus D. and Martha and was named Sylia Amaretta. Thus our soldier, hunter-trapper and scout became a tender and devoted husband and father.
In 1851 Erastus crossed the plains for the third and last time, this time with his wife and baby daughter and accompained by his father-in-law and his family. They first settled at little Cottonwood, a few miles south of Salt Lake City, where their second child, William Henry was born December 31, 1851.
The family did not remain long in the Cottonwood settlement for they had made their home in Springville, Utah Co., before their second son, Erastus Darwin Jr. was born, March 17, 1854. Here Erastus had oportunity to demonstrate his ability in dealing with the Indians and in solving the problems wiich they presented for he was working for the American Fur Company in Wyoming between the date of his discharge from the army and his return to Council Bluffs, where he married.
* Mormon Battalion members
Son of Stephen Peabody Meacham & Dorthy "Dolly" Maria Ransom
Married Martha Jones, 4 Feb 1849, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
Erastus Darwin Meacham was the fifth child of Stephen Peabody Meacham and Dorothy Maria (known as Dolly) Ransom. He was born 20 July, 1826, at Hopkinton, St. Lawrence Co., NY where he lived till he was ten or eleven years old, when his parents, who had been converted to the faith of the Mormons by Stephen's uncle, joined the church and moved, with other relative converts, to Erie County, Pennsylvania.
In 1839 they moved to Springfield, Illinois, where three of the older children were married. Later the family moved to Nauvoo where Erastus D. as a yound man was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and at times, served as body guard to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
After the death of the Prophet while preparations were being made for the westward move, Erastus D. worked as apprentice in the shop of Elisha Jones, a wheelright and blacksmith, who later became father-in-law to Erastus D. and became much interested in the ability of the young apprentice.
In late 1845 or early 1846 Erastus D. left Nauvoo and began the trek across Iowa with what was designated as the "Camp of Israel" by its leader, Brigham Young, and was camped at "Mount Pisgah" when the call came from the government for a battalion of Volunteers to take part in the war with Mexico. Erastus D., being of a venturesome nature, volunteered and on July 16, 1846, was mustered into the army of the United States at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a member of Company D. and with it participated in the now famous march of the "Mormon Battalion".
Just when Erastus D. returned to his folks at the Missouri river the writer does not know, but we do know it was before February 4th, 1849, for at that date he was married at Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Martha Jones the seventeen year old daughter of Elisha Jones, the mechanic withwhom he had worked at Nauvoo.
From this point on history of Erastus Darwin Meacham must also be the history of his wife. It is therefore proper to here introduce her: Martha Jones was born August 7, 1832, in Jefferson Co., Ohio, daughter of Elisha Jones and Margaret Tolbot. She remembered very vividloy the stirring events connected with the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and participated in the hardships endured diring the exodus of Nauvoo and the journey to the West.
On the 17 of December, 1849, at Kanesville, later named Council Bluffs, Iowa, a daughter was born to Erastus D. and Martha and was named Sylia Amaretta. Thus our soldier, hunter-trapper and scout became a tender and devoted husband and father.
In 1851 Erastus crossed the plains for the third and last time, this time with his wife and baby daughter and accompained by his father-in-law and his family. They first settled at little Cottonwood, a few miles south of Salt Lake City, where their second child, William Henry was born December 31, 1851.
The family did not remain long in the Cottonwood settlement for they had made their home in Springville, Utah Co., before their second son, Erastus Darwin Jr. was born, March 17, 1854. Here Erastus had oportunity to demonstrate his ability in dealing with the Indians and in solving the problems wiich they presented for he was working for the American Fur Company in Wyoming between the date of his discharge from the army and his return to Council Bluffs, where he married.
* Mormon Battalion members
Married Martha Jones, 4 Feb 1849, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
Erastus Darwin Meacham was the fifth child of Stephen Peabody Meacham and Dorothy Maria (known as Dolly) Ransom. He was born 20 July, 1826, at Hopkinton, St. Lawrence Co., NY where he lived till he was ten or eleven years old, when his parents, who had been converted to the faith of the Mormons by Stephen's uncle, joined the church and moved, with other relative converts, to Erie County, Pennsylvania.
In 1839 they moved to Springfield, Illinois, where three of the older children were married. Later the family moved to Nauvoo where Erastus D. as a yound man was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and at times, served as body guard to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
After the death of the Prophet while preparations were being made for the westward move, Erastus D. worked as apprentice in the shop of Elisha Jones, a wheelright and blacksmith, who later became father-in-law to Erastus D. and became much interested in the ability of the young apprentice.
In late 1845 or early 1846 Erastus D. left Nauvoo and began the trek across Iowa with what was designated as the "Camp of Israel" by its leader, Brigham Young, and was camped at "Mount Pisgah" when the call came from the government for a battalion of Volunteers to take part in the war with Mexico. Erastus D., being of a venturesome nature, volunteered and on July 16, 1846, was mustered into the army of the United States at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a member of Company D. and with it participated in the now famous march of the "Mormon Battalion".
Just when Erastus D. returned to his folks at the Missouri river the writer does not know, but we do know it was before February 4th, 1849, for at that date he was married at Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Martha Jones the seventeen year old daughter of Elisha Jones, the mechanic withwhom he had worked at Nauvoo.
From this point on history of Erastus Darwin Meacham must also be the history of his wife. It is therefore proper to here introduce her: Martha Jones was born August 7, 1832, in Jefferson Co., Ohio, daughter of Elisha Jones and Margaret Tolbot. She remembered very vividloy the stirring events connected with the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and participated in the hardships endured diring the exodus of Nauvoo and the journey to the West.
On the 17 of December, 1849, at Kanesville, later named Council Bluffs, Iowa, a daughter was born to Erastus D. and Martha and was named Sylia Amaretta. Thus our soldier, hunter-trapper and scout became a tender and devoted husband and father.
In 1851 Erastus crossed the plains for the third and last time, this time with his wife and baby daughter and accompained by his father-in-law and his family. They first settled at little Cottonwood, a few miles south of Salt Lake City, where their second child, William Henry was born December 31, 1851.
The family did not remain long in the Cottonwood settlement for they had made their home in Springville, Utah Co., before their second son, Erastus Darwin Jr. was born, March 17, 1854. Here Erastus had oportunity to demonstrate his ability in dealing with the Indians and in solving the problems wiich they presented for he was working for the American Fur Company in Wyoming between the date of his discharge from the army and his return to Council Bluffs, where he married.
* Mormon Battalion members
Family Members
Siblings
Children
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Sylvia Amaretta Mecham Alvord
1849–1873
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William Henry Meacham
1851–1923
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Erastus Darwin Meacham Jr
1854–1889
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Martha Maria Mecham Burton
1857–1947
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Elisha Jones Mecham
1859–1946
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Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie" Meacham Coleman
1862–1908
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Francis Carter "Frank" Meacham
1866–1954
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John Hyrum Mecham
1870–1939
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Richard Lafayette Meacham
1873–1875
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