James Tillman Sanford ALLRED

Allred Lineage:   James TS, James, William, Thomas, Solomon born 1680 England

Born: 03/28/1825 Bedford Co., TN
Died: 03/28/1905 Spring City, Sanpete Co., UT

Submitted by: Sharon Allred Jessop 04/19/1999

LIFE SKETCH OF JAMES TILLMAN SANFORD ALLRED
(Company A. Mormon Battalion)

James Tillman Sanford Allred was born in Bedford County, Tennessee. He was the fifth son and the tenth child of James Allred and Elizabeth Warren. His father was born in Randolph County, North Carolina on January 22, 1784, while his mother was born in South Carolina on the sixth day of May in the year 1787. His parents were married the 14th day of November, 1803 in Randolph County, North Carolina. Shortly thereafter they moved to Franklin County, Georgia where their first son, William Hackley was born. Before 1806 James and Elizabeth with their son moved to Warren County, Kentucky, where their second son, Martin Carrell was born. A short time after Martin Carrell was born, the family moved to the Ohio River near Yellow Bands where their third child and first daughter, Hanna Caroline, was born. Early in 1811 the family again moved to Bedford County, Tennessee, where James Tillman Sanford the subject of this narrative was born on March 26, 1825.

James Tillman with the rest of his father’s family lived in Bedford County for sixteen years, during which time five additional brothers and four more sisters were born into his father’s family. In the year 1830 he moved with his father’s family as a boy of five, to Ralls County, Missouri, which county was later divided and the family found themselves in Monroe County where Andrew Jackson, their fourteenth child was born.

Through the teachings of George M. Hinkle and others, James Tillman’s father and a number of the members of his father’s family joined the Church on September 10th, 1832. The branch where they were living was known as the Salt River Branch. James Tillman’s father was a captain in Zion’s camp. He went with the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Isaac, his son Martin in June of 1834 to redeem Zion.

In the spring of 1835 the family moved to Clay County, Missouri where James Tillman was baptized on February 22, 1835 at the age of ten years. Again in 1837, after a stay of only two years the family moved to Caldwell County where James Tillman’s father was elected County Judge. When the Church left Missouri in the spring of 1839 the family again moved to Pittsfield, Pike County, Illinois. They did not stay there long however as in the fall they moved to Commerce afterwards called Nauvoo, where James Tillman’s father was ordained a High Priest and a member of the High Council. He was also present on Saturday, May 24, 1845, when the Twelve Apostles and the High Council, of which he was a member, assembled to lay the capstone of the completion of the Temple. James Tillman’s father was also one of the body guards to the Prophet in the Nauvoo Legion.

In 1840, James Tillman’s father was kidnapped. The circumstances surrounding his kidnapping are as follows: The Saints at Nauvoo, by June of 1840, had erected about two hundred and fifty homes. They were mostly block houses, but there were also a few frame dwellings. Many more houses were in process of erection and the town was rapidly increasing in population and about 1,000 acres had been laid out for lots. When the people of Missouri, watching the Saints re-establishing themselves, realized that their persecution and expulsion had been fruitless in destroying the church and the group as a whole, they began to connive ways of utterly destroying the Mormon People. In one of their fiendish attempts to abolish the Mormons a small group consisting of H.M. Woodward and six other men crossed over the Mississippi River into Illinois at a point above Quincy and kidnapped James Allred, Tillman’s father, and three other Mormons, and without writ or warrant dragged them over to Missouri to a neighborhood called Tully in Lewis County. These unfortunate men were imprisoned for a day or two in an old log cabin, during which time their lives were continually threatened. One of James’s companions, Alanson Brown, was taken out and a rope was placed around his neck. He was then hung up to a tree until he was nearly strangled to death. Benjamin Boyce at the time was tied to a tree and stripped of his clothes and inhumanly beaten. Noah Roger, another companion, was also beaten, while James, Tillman’s father, was stripped of every particle of his clothing and tied up to a tree for the greater part of a night, and threatened frequently. He was finally released without being whipped. On the 12th of July, 1840, after being prisoners for two days, they were released with this statement: “The people of Tully having taken up Mr. Allred, with some others, and having examined into the offenses committed, find nothing to justify his detention longer and have released him.” Signed - “By order of the Committee, H.M. Woodward.” Even the Non-Mormons were vociferous in their condemnation of this type of treatment, and petitioned Governor Carlin for action to stop them. Nothing ever came of these petitions.

James, Tillman’s father, not only assisted in building the Nauvoo Temple, but assisted in giving endowments therein. James Tillman was ordained a seventy in 1842 while the family resided in Nauvoo.

In June, 1844, the Prophet Joseph, Hyrum, President John Taylor, and Apostle Willard Richards were taken to the Carthage Jail in Hancock County, Illinois. At the jail the Prophet handed his sword to James Allred, father of Tillman, and said, “Take this, you may need it to defend yourself.” At the Prophet’s death, James brought this sword to Utah. It presently is on display at the Utah State Capitol. On the 27th of June, the Prophet and Hyrum were murdered in Carthage Jail. The Prophet had previously prophesied that Willard Richards would not be harmed by four bullets. Brother Taylor’s wounds were cared for by Apostle Richards and he was made as comfortable as possible until the morning of July second. Early on the morning of the 2nd of July, James Allred brought a wagon and Brother Marks a carriage to take President Taylor home to Nauvoo. At first they deemed the wagon and carriage would be too rough in which to ride; accordingly a litter was prepared which they carried for a distance. Then a sleigh was placed behind Brother Allred’s wagon and a mattress was placed thereon. By cutting through fields and taking down fences, they soon covered the eighteen miles to President Taylor’s home. As news of their approach reached the city, thousands came out to greet them and President Taylor exclaimed upon arrival that he felt better than when he started.

James Tillman’s wife, Eliza Bridget Mainwaring, was born in Herfordshire, England, on November 23, 1821. She came to America with one of the first “Mormon groups” to emigrate to this land. She was the daughter of Edward Mainwaring and Margaret Nash. She joined the Church in 1835. As a young lady she had lived in the home of James Allred, father of James Tillman. For three years previous to the Prophet’s death she was employed as a cook in the Nauvoo Mansion. It was while living at Father Allred’s home that she and James Tillman Sanford fell in love. They were married on the 23rd day of November, 1845.

When Tillman’s father crossed the Mississippi River on February 9, 1846, Tillman and his bride of a few month were with him. They arrived on the banks of the Missouri River on July 15th of the same year after a little over five months of travel. The next day, Tillman in obedience to the encouragement of Brigham Young and the leaders of the Church, joined the Mormon Battalion. As soon as it was learned that four laundresses would be allowed each of the five companies of the Battalion, the wives of the soldiers made application and twenty were chosen. Then it was found that the soldiers could take their families if they could meet the expense of the journey, and also provide transportation. Nearly eighty women and children accompanied the Battalion. Eliza Bridget Mainwaring was one of these women. She felt she would sooner suffer the rigors of the camp life than be left with the Saints, even though she was four months pregnant, and was faced with the necessity of walking all the way, as James Tillman had no wagon in which she could ride.

On July 18th, President Brigham Young met with the officers that had been chosen, and instructed them to be fathers to their companies, and manage their affairs in a prayerful way. He assured the soldiers that they would do no fighting; that the Saints would go to the Great Basin and the Battalion would be disbanded about 800 miles from where the body of the Church would locate. A great ball was held the night before their departure.

James Tillman and Eliza on the morning of July 21st, started with the others on their long trek, not knowing whether they would ever see the faces of their loved ones again in this life. James Tillman Sanford was enrolled in Company A where he was enlisted with his two cousins, Redick Newton and James Riley, both of whom were sons of his father’s brother Isaac. He also had as a traveling companion, Reuben Warren Allred who was the son of his older brother Martin Carrell. After traveling on the east side of the Missouri River through Iowa and Missouri territory, the Battalion crossed the Missouri River at a point directly opposite Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They arrived at Fort Leavenworth on August 1st. At Leavenworth they drew their firearms, camp equipment and pay which consisted of $42. Most of the money was sent back by Elder Parley P. Pratt and others for the support of their families, and for the gathering of the poor from Nauvoo. On August 12th and 13th, three companies took up their march to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The other two companies followed on the 14th. On the 23rd, Captain Allen died, having earned the love and respect of all. Lieutenant Andrew J. Smith assumed command, much to the dissatisfaction of the men, as they felt that Jefferson Hunt, their own senior officer, was to take over in the event of Allen’s death. On September 16th, at the last crossing of the Arkansas River, Captain Higgins, with a guard of ten men, was detailed to take a number of the families that accompanied the Battalion, to Pueblo, a Mexican town located further up the Arkansas River. There the families were to spend the winter, it being felt that because of lack of provisions and the strenuousness of the march, many would never reach California and the men would also run out of food because of the slowness of their progress. The detachment arrived at Pueblo on September 16th without incident, although they suffered greatly because of the shortness of their rations. Tillman and Eliza continued on with the main body of the Battalion to Santa Fe. After being reduced to two thirds rations and suffering great hardships because of the lack of water, many became sick before they arrived at Santa Fe. Immediately upon arriving at Santa Fe Lieutenant Colonel Phillip St. George Cooke took command of the Battalion pursuant to orders from S.W. Kearney who was the Commander of the Army of the West and who had passed through Santa Fe a few weeks previous on his way to California. Colonel Cooke immediately dispatched all of the remaining women and children, except the wives of four of the officers, together with all of the sick and infirm men, to Pueblo under the leadership of Captain Brown. They were to winter at Pueblo and journey on to California the next spring. Tillman Sanford and his wife Eliza and his nephew, Reuben Warren, and Reuben’s wife, Elzadie Emeline Ford, were among those invalided by order of the doctor and sent with Captain Brown and 82 others to Pueblo.

This detachment after a month of travel, after leaving Santa Fe, arrived November 17th. Eliza was ill a great deal of the way as she was pregnant and her husband had no wagon. An elderly couple shared their wagon with her. She gave birth to a baby boy which died shortly after birth, but the company could not stop while her husband buried the infant. He was so weak from exhaustion and exposure after the burial that he could hardly catch up with the rest of the company.

At Pueblo they were joined by those who had been detached at the last crossing of the Arkansas River. Much rejoicing ensued as husband met wife and children rejoined parents. Crude homes were immediately erected, and the families made as comfortable as possible to await the spring. Before the houses could be completed however, many of the sick succumbed. On the 24th of December, another detachment of sick Battalion members arrived at Pueblo. They had been detailed from a point about 300 miles south of Santa Fe, and because of the lateness of the season, heavy snowstorms and their enfeebled condition, many had suffered severely, and not a few had died from exposure and the rigors of the cold weather. Immediately upon their arrival, stronger men were dispatched to return upon their trail and bring in those who had been too weak to keep up with the main body. The remainder of the winter was spent nursing the sick and preparing for their trip in the spring to California.

On May 18, 1847, Captain Brown and Higgins and others returned from Santa Fe where they had gone to collect the detachments pay and to receive orders regarding their trek to California. The orders they received were that the Battalion was to continue on to California by way of Fort Laramie on the Platte River. Accordingly on the 24th of May, the detachment crossed the Arkansas River and started northward. On the 11th of June they were met by Amasa M. Lyman of the Quorum of the Twelve and others from Winter Quarters with mail from their loved ones and instructions from the “brethren.” After meeting with Apostle Lyman and the friends who accompanied him, the journey was resumed. On the 13th of June while the company was resting during the afternoon, Apostle Lyman addressed the Battalion and imparted to them the instructions he had received from President Brigham Young. For at that time, it was assumed that the detachment was to go to California. On the night of the 16th, the company camped within one mile of Fort Laramie, about 540 miles west of Council Bluffs, where they were mustered into service eleven months before. President Young, with a company of pioneers making their was westward, had passed Fort Laramie twelve days previous and with a view of overtaking them the detachment made an early start on the morning of the 17th and followed Brigham’s trail. The road was bad and almost impossible in places, so the travel was necessarily slow and tedious; but they gradually gained on the pioneers whose journeying they occasionally learned by finding posts set up at a camp place with writing on it, showing when the pioneers passed that spot. On arriving at the ferry on the Platte River the detachment learned that the pioneers were only one day’s travel in advance. Finding a blacksmith working at this place, a halt was called for one day in order to get animals shod and wagons repaired. The detachment pushed onward the next morning but failed to overtake the pioneers except for eleven men who pushed on ahead and joined the pioneers at Green River on July 4, 1847. The rest of Brown’s detachment arrived in the valley July 29th, just five days after the pioneers had entered the valley. Here they were formally disbanded, since their year of service was completed, without the necessity of going to California.

On February 26, 1848, Eliza gave birth in Salt Lake City to their second child Eliza Marie. In the spring of 1849, James Tillman Sanford went back to the Platte River to establish a ferry and help the Saints to Salt Lake City. Later in the same year he was called by Brigham Young, along with others, to move their families to South Sanpete County. There they started a settlement called Manti. It was while living at Manti that their two daughters, Eliza Marie and Ellen A. were born. In the spring of 1852 Brigham Young and the Twelve Apostles called James Tillman Sanford, his father and mother who had crossed the plains and joined them in 1851, to move 16 miles north and start a new settlement at a site known today as Spring City.

Reuben Warren Allred, a brother of James Tillman Sanford, crossed the plains in the fall of 1849, after the return of the Mormon Battalion to Winter Quarters. At the General Conference in October, 1851, President Brigham Young called Reuben Allred and others to go to Sanpete County to establish settlements. On October 9, 1851, Reuben was ordained a High Priest and set apart as Bishop under the hands of Brigham Young. The trip of these Saints to Sanpete was a hard and dangerous one. They settled on the east side of the Sanpete Valley just eighteen miles northeast of the present site of Manti, on the 22nd day of March, 1853. This place was known as the “Allred Settlement.” Later, it was called Springtown because of the number of cold water springs within the town’s limit. Here at Springtown they proceeded to build a fort for the protection against the Indians. It was to the Allred Settlement that James Tillman Sanford and his wife and family and James Tillman’s father and mother moved to in response to President Young’s call.

At the spring conference of 1856, James Tillman Sanford was called to go on a mission to the Piute Indians, as Brigham Young knew he was a good Indian interpreter. It was while laboring as a missionary at Las Vegas that Edward Francis was born on September 5, 1856. At the conclusion of his mission James returned to Ephraim where William Hackley, Nancy Cluny, and Brigham Young were born. The family lived in Ephraim from 1858 to 1862. Later they moved to Circleville where Margaret Bridget was born on the 20th of April, 1866. Six years later on April 12, her mother Eliza Bridget died in Circleville, Utah. Her dying request was that her youngest daughter be raised by her eldest daughter Eliza Marie Munson who had also given birth to a daughter, Eliza Bridget Munson on June 5, 1866.

James Tillman Sanford married an Indian woman by the name of Fanny while the family was living in Ephraim. From this marriage, a girl, Barbara was born on February 14, 1860. Barbara passed away at the age of 42. James Tillman Sanford married Margaret Mainwaring a sister to Eliza. To this union was born two sons and four daughters. James Tillman Sanford also married Pauline

James Tillman Sanford died at Spring City, Utah, on March 29, 1905 at the age of 80. His father James passed away on January 10, 1876 at the age of 92 at Spring City, Sanpete County, Utah, after having completed one of the most outstanding lives of the 19th century. His wife Elizabeth Warren lived for another three years. She passed away on the 23rd of April 1879, having been blind for the last six years of her life.

The following are the children of James Tillman Sanford Allred and Eliza Bridget Mainwaring:

1. Eliza Marie, born 26 Feb. 1848, died 12 April 1839 (sic.), married James W. Munson
2. Ellen A., born 13 Jan. 1850, died 28 Aug. 1929.
3. Elizabeth Diantha, born 25 Mar. 1852, died 24 Sept. 1942
4. James Tillman Sanford, born 25 Feb. 1854, died 11 Aug 1902, married Christina Anderson.
5. Edward Francis Allred, born 5 Sept. 1856, died 9 July 1942, married Elizabeth Overlade.
6. William Hackley, born 4 Nov. 1858, died 15 Feb. 1922, married Sarah E. Miles.
7. Nancy Cluny, born 14 April 1861, died 14 April 1861.
8. Brigham Young, born 25 Aug. 1862, married Christina Nielson.
9. Margaret Bridget, born 20 April 1866, died 4 Aug. 1934, married Hans Peter Nielson.

The following are the children of James Tillman Sanford Allred and Fanny, his second wife:

1. Barbara, born 14 Feb. 1860, died Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 1902.

The following are children of James Tillman Sanford Allred and Margaret Mainwaring his third wife.

1. Margaret M. born 29 Dec. 1853, married Roberts.
2. Sarah Ann, born 11 Feb. 1857.
3. John Richard, born 5 Oct. 1858.
4. Malinda J., born 9 Feb. 1861, died 1944, married Brigham Griffith.
5. Lovina S., born 9 April 1863, married Will Robinson.
6. Heber Kimball, born 3 May 1863, married Margaret Jones.