Frank Kirkman's Mountain Meadows Massacre Site

Camerons, Millers, Tacketts and Jones

Contributed by Cheryl Grenaux

The following is what I have sent to all the Miller relatives I know of.  I might have skipped some unintentionally.  I am sending this to you in case you might be able to add to the store of knowledge.  Thank you!!! Cheryl

Hello Miller Family!!!! I am writing to a few people I know are related to the Miller kids. I would like to share this information and with all your permission your e-mail addresses as well. I need your ok to do that last part. Please let me know yes or no if that would be ok to share. The information is what I have been sent or found over a few years. Some of it contradicts itself, all of it I have not proved to myself it is correct. Right now I am just going on what others have said. I have tried to stay close to the Miller generation and will let you all share the rest if you would like. Here is what I have.

At the moment I believe that Martha Cameron's maiden name was "probably" Holt. I think that she was "probably" the sister of Elizabeth who was married to William M. Campbell, of "The Campbell Train". Haven't proved it yet, but am working on it! (And if she isn't a Holt, my second guess would be Basham. The Bashams are somehow connected to the Campbell Train too. I've seen her listed as a Miller, and I suppose that is not actually out of the realm of possibility either.)

What I can tell you with a great degree of certainty is that Josiah Miller (husband of Matilda Cameron) was not related to Emberson Miller or the Hugh Miller line , as is often stated. Josiah is (incorrectly) said to have been the uncle of Armilda (Miller) Tackett, the dau of Emberson Miller, and granddaughter of Hugh Miller . I have no idea where that info about Josiah originated, but it is wrong :) Josiah Miller was born abt 1827 in Alabama, Matilda Cameron was also born in Alabama , and that's where the Camerons were living before moving to Arkansas, so Alabama as the place of Josiah's birth makes perfect sense.  No member of the Emberson Miller or Hugh Miller family was ever in Alabama! Someone must have made a giant leap that the two Millers in the MMM must be related!

The Cameron's are related to the Jones family, the Jones family is related to the Tackitt family who are also related to the Miller family.

The Jones/Cameron children (Felix Marion Jones) was first cousin to the Tackitt children and the Miller children.

Milum Jones was cousins to Cynthia (Jones) Tackitt.  He married Eloah Tackitt (his cousin) and Cynthia's daughter.

Eloah Tackitt was sister to Pleasant Tackitt (both died at Mountain Meadows).

Pleasant Tackitt was married to Armilda Miller.  Their children survived and went to live with their maternal grandparents when they were rescued.

Josiah Miller married Matilda (Cameron) Miller.  Josiah was Armilda's uncle (her father's brother).  Now Armilda's father Emberson Miller was full Cherokee, as was his father Hugh Miller.  Therefore Josiah had to have been full Cherokee as well.

From what I understand John Calvin Miller Married Nellie Anne Tasker

Do you have any ideas on the location of graves of the three Miller children? ----

This is part of Malinda's deposition. 

Q.    Was there anyone left from that company?

A.    Some small children not over 8 years of age.

Q.    Were any of those children members of your family?

A.    My married sister's three children and they were taken back to Johnson County.

Q.    Who took charge of them?

A.    My sister, Mrs. Littleton, took charge of them, and she said they always acted so strange and seemed to be bewildered and the youngest child was like a wild goose.

Q.    Do you know if he is dead or alive?

A.    Dead.

Q.    Is Mrs. Littleton dead or alive.

A.    Dead.

Q.    How long has she been dead?

A.    Four or five years.

Q.    Has she any children?

A.    Budd, Mrs. Tate, and Tillman Littleton.

Q.    Is Mrs. Tate dead or alive?

A.    Dead.

Q.    Had she any children?

A.    Three children.

Q.    Do you know where they are?

A.    The last I heard, one was back East and another was in Oregon and the other one was in California.

Q.    And you and the children of Mrs. Littleton, and the three Tate children are the only heirs?

A.    That is all.


John Calvin was married in Lizard Ar,

I think your Martha Camron was actually Martha Holt.

Info on the Camerons

William and Martha Cameron remain kind of a mystery

No one I have asked can tell me the maiden name of Martha.  I don't know what it is yet.  Malinda says that William was born in Illinois. The census of 1850 says he and Martha were born in Tenessee.  So I don't know where they were born. 

Nancy Cameron Littleton Johnson is buried in Rural Cemetery in Stockton, CA.  Malinda Cameron Scott Thurston is buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery in Lockeford, Ca . 

Malinda said her father was born in Illinois.  The 1850 Census says William and Martha were born in Tennessee.  I don't know where they were born.  Nancy Cameron Littleton Johnson's obit says she is of the famous Cameron Family of Tennessee. 

Tillman B. Littleton

Page 630

I think it is in

History of San Joaquin County

California

With Illustrations

 Public spirited to unusual degree, Tillman B. Littleton the present commissioner of finance, revenue and public supplies of Stockton, has for many years taken an active part in civic affairs, contributing of his time and wide experience to the cause of good government.  His father lost his life in the Civil War, and in 1873 the mother brought her family to California.  She was a member of the historic old Cameron family of Tennessee, and was herself a native of that state.  Her parents were members of one of the early parties that started across the plains in 1847, and they were both killed by the Mormons in the Mouontain Meadows Massacre. 

     Tillman B. Littleton was born September 1, 1856, in Jackson County, Arl., and accompanied his mother to California in 1873, the family locating on a ranch on Waterloo Road.  He finished his education in Stockton and attended the old Stockton Business College, where F.R. Clarke was one of his teachers.  He then went to work on ranches, working for wages until he was able to go into ranching on his own account.  He rented considerable land and was one of the successful wheat raisers, one year producing 6,000 sacks, which he hauled to the Sperry Flour Flour Mills, reciving one dollar a bushel for it.  Later he purchased a grain ranch of 160 acres on Waterloo Road, where he made his home for sometime.  In 1897 he disposed of this place and since then he has made his home in Stockton, being closely identified with its affairs since that time. 

     At first, on coming to stockton, Mr. Littleton bought and sold hay, and later, becoming more and more interested in civic affairs he has devoted the greater part of his time to public work.  He was elected superintendent of streets and held this office for one term and then for two years served as harbor master.  Next he entered the street and sewer contracting business, building miles of macaham and gravel streets in Stockton, and in one summer he built $24,000 worth of sewers for the city.  Entering again into the commercial life of the city, Mr. Littleton bought out the Yolland Ice and Coal Company and for ten years conducted it with success, selling out when he was elected to his present office in 1918 for a term of four years.  There were ten candidates for this office, but Mr. Littleton was elected at the primaries, receiving more votes than all the other candidates put together, a crecord to be justly proud of, and showing the high esteem in which he is held by this constituency through...

 Sorry, I don't have the rest.

Oopps!!!  I think I found the rest!!

the splendid service he had rendered in other public posts.

     Mr. Littleton's first marriage united him with Miss Katie Hayes, a native of Missouri, and one son, Roy Jr., now employed in the Centra Bank at Oakland, was born to them.  He is married and has two children Frances and Gloria.  Mrs. Littleton passed away in 1906 and Mr. Littleton was married a second time Miss Kathryn Harvey, a native of California, and they have a daughter, Alice Loraine.  In addition to his busy life as a public offcial, Mr. Littleton is prominent in Lodge circles, being a member of the Elks, Foresters of Americ, Loyal order of Moose, and the Tructh Lodge of the Odd Fellows.  Polictically he is a Democrat.

 His son Roy seems to have committed suicide.  I have something for that also.

 I have pictures of the Thurston ranch.  It says Elliott TF., San Joaquin Co. Cal.

Roger Logan told me the following:

There is an obituary dated May 10, 1940 for a William Tillman Miller.  He lived at 313 Boulevard Street Turlock, CA 

There was a John Miller in Wasco, CA

Claude Miller in Turlock, CA

Joseph Miller in Los Angeles, CA

Nellie Miller Warrecher in Santa Anna, CA

Nancy Miller? Sthor in Compton

There was a Mary or Eliz Miller in Stockton, CA

 I have an e-mail from someone, I don't know who now.  It says:

 William Tillman Miller (Matilda Cameron, William, William) was born 1856, and died 10 May 1940 in Turlock CA.  He married Bracy Ann Reese.

Hirum Hitchcock Thurston

City Directory 1871-1872

San Joaquin County CA

Farmer

Home Address Waterloo

Page 279

1905

Stockton, San Joaquin Co. CA

Farmer

404 N. Center

Page 285

I have a Permit for Removal and Reburial for William J. Littleton

Male White Married

Age 74

Trade Hotel-Manager

Birth State Arkansas

Buried Rural Cemetery Stockton, CA  3/10/36

Block #29

Grave #9

T. B. Littleton (Tillman)

702 N. San Joaquin

Died July 16, 1934

Male White Married

Widow Kathryn Littleton

Born Sept. 1, 1856

Age 70

Retired

Birthplace Jackson County Arkansas

Mother's Maiden Name Cameron

Informan Mrs. Kathryn Littleton

Buried Rural Cemetery, Stockton, CA

Block #29

Grave #9

Malinda's sister Nancy was married to a Littleton.  While in California, she then married a Johnson.

In the Death Records

San Joaquin County

California

Volume II

1895 - 1905

Compiled By

San Joaquin Genealogical Society

Johnson, Nancy 08 Jul 1899 White 69 F Widow Born in Albama Died in Stockton

Remembrance of Pioneers Past

A Walking Tour of Harmony Grove Cemetery

Lockeford, California

By

Peggy Ward Engh

Hirum H. Thurston

Birth: June 17, 1825, in New York

Marriage: widow Malinda Scott on Feb. 3, 1859, in San Joaquin County, California

Death: July 17, 1921, in Stockton, California

Burial: Block 1, Lot 12

     H. H. Thurston made the long trek across the plains, arriving in San Joaquin County and settling on the Calaveras River in 1850.  He married widow Malind Scott, a survivor of the Mountain Meadows massacre which occurred in Mormon territory on September 7, 1857, in which 120 people were killed.  She and her first husband were spared because they had made a detour while her parents and other members of the party were killed because they had followed another route.  The Thurstons reared nine children: Frank, who died in 1865; Martha "Mattie" Andrews; Nellie, who died in 1924; Lilly; Fanny; Amelia Gremaux, buried here with her husband Lovelace A. Gremaux after they were removed from the Park View Cemetery in August, 1944; and step-children Joel, George, and Susie Scott.

     An extremely successful grain farmer, he once owned 1,115 acres in the Elliott Township, 2,600 acres in Merced County, 620 acres in Fresno County, and 500 acres in Lassen County.  For sicty years he farmed the same place, located approximately one and one-half miles shouth of Harmony Grove School.  The originator of the combined harvester made his first machine on Thurston's ranch.  Of course, owning considerable acreage was not without its perils.  In 1885, Mr. Thurston was embroiled in a land dispute which merited an article in the Stockton Evening Mail:  "The armed disagreement between H. H. Thurston on the one side and W. M. Harrington on the other ... still continues.  The Thurson party is entrenched in a fortification consisting of earthworks thrown up to the height of five feet....  It is guarded by Joel Scott, George Scott, [Thurston's two step-sons] (pg 96) Fed Wlker, and William Moore.  An eating house on wheels, belonging to a threshing outfit, has been hauled up to the fortification, and within seven feet of the house where messrs. Harrington and J. A. Flemming are residing.  The fortified men still threaten to fire on Harrington and Flemming if the latter attempt to move the house on to the disputed land ....  All parties are armed with shotguns, rifles, and revolvers.  They occasionally swap tobacco. 

     Mrs. Locke noted in March, 1886, that the Thurston's "Beautiful house [featured in the 1879 History of San Joaquin County, California], and all the furniture was burned to the ground, while the family were absent in Stockton.  Only one woman was there, and she made a fire in the kitchen stove for the pupose of getting tea, and left it to feed the chickens, [sic] the house took fire in some way.

     H. H. Thurston retired from farming in 1911 and moved to Stockton.  In the last year of his life, he had been in failing health and died at age ninety-six after developing pneumonia.

Vital Statistics

Stockton Daily Evening Record Stockton, San Joaquin County, California Monday July 16, 1934

 Littleton - In Stockton, July 16, 1934, Tillman B. Littleton, dearly beloved husband of Kathryn Littleton of Stockton; loving father of Alice Littleton of Stockton and W. J. Littleton of Catalina; a native of Arkansas.

The funeral will take place tuesday, July 17, 1934, at 2 p. m. from the chapel of De Young & Conklin, American and Fremont streets, where services will be said under the auspices of Stocton Lodge of Elks.  The funeral will be private.  Pliease omit flowers.  Interment in Rural Cemetery.

 Stockton Daily Evening Record, Stockton, San Joaquin County, California Monday July 18, 1921

H. H. Thursin.

Dies at 96 Years

Was a Waterloo Farmer and Pioneer Combined Harvester Builder

 Hiram H. Thurstin, 96 years of age, and for over 60 years a resident of San Joaquin county, passed away yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock at the home of his daughter, Mrs. L. A. Gremaux, 301 West Vine street.  During the past year he had been in failing health and he was sick for about ten days preceding his death.

     Mr. Thurstin ahd farmed at the same place on the Waterloo-Lockeford road for the past 60 years and was remarkable active for his age.  About ten years ago he retired and came to Stockton, making his residence at the northwest corner of El Dorado and Wyandotte streets.

     He and his brother, Marvin Thurstin, at the old Matteson & Williamson shop, constructed the first combined harvester ever to be built in Stockton.

     Born near the little town of Lodi in New York state, 60 years and one month ago he came to California in 1850 and engaged in mining in El Dorado county, later coming to San Joaquin.

     Having farmed for such a long period in one locality, he had a wide acquaintance in the northeastern part of the county.  He was known for his kindly magnanimous nature and would have been a well-to-do man if it had not been for hes great generosity.

     His wife, Mrs. Maling Thurstin, still lives in this city at the age of 93 years.  She was a survivor of the famous Mountain Meadow massacre.  She and her fust husband were spared owing to the fact that they made a detour, while her parents and other members of the emigrant party were killed by Indians, while following another route.

     Mr. Thurstin was the father of Mrs. Amelia Gremaux and Nellie Thurstin of Stockton, Mrs. Fannie E. Wright and Mrs. Lillian Bender of San Francisco, the stepfather of Joel Scott of Sheep Ranch, George Scott of Alameda, and the brother of Mrs. Mary Jane Todd of Stockton.  A. R. Bogue of this city is a nephew.

Stockton Daily Evening Record Stockton, San Joaquin County California Thursday December 15, 1921

Thurston - In Stockton.  December 14, 1921, Mlinda Thurston, loving mother of Joel Scott of Sheep Ranch, George Scott, Miss Nellie Thurston, and Mrs. Grenaux, all of Stockton, and Mrs. Fannie Wright and Mrs. Lillian Bender of San Frnacisco, a native of Alabama.

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Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 03 1823
Location: AL,
Document #: 35
Serial #: AL0640__.035
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.2400
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 1E, Section 31

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 05 1823
Location: AL,
Document #: 33
Serial #: AL0640__.033
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.2400
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 1E, Section 31

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 05 1823
Location: AL,
Document #: 34
Serial #: AL0640__.034
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.2400
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 1E, Section 31

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 05 1823
Location: AL,
Document #: 278
Serial #: AL0640__.272
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 79.5200
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 1W, Section 36

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 05 1823
Location: AL,
Document #: 308
Serial #: AL0640__.302
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.1900
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 18S, Range 1W, Section 1

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 26 04 1824
Location: AL,
Document #: 2434
Serial #: AL0680__.376
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.2400
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 1E, Section 31

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 20 May 1826
Location: OH,
Document #: 1059
Serial #: OH0090__.015
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.3200
Meridian or Watershed: OHIO RIVER SURVEY
Parcel: Township 13 N, Range 3 W, Section 28

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 15 03 1831
Location: AL,
Document #: 2308
Serial #: AL1190__.301
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.0100
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 1S, Range 7E, Section 27

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 15 03 1831
Location: AL,
Document #: 2306
Serial #: AL1190__.299
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.0300
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 2S, Range 7E, Section 12

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 30 03 1837
Location: AL,
Document #: 6484
Serial #: AL1100__.067
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 39.9900
Meridian or Watershed: ST STEPHENS
Parcel: Township 22N, Range 1W, Section 10

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 30 03 1837
Location: AL,
Document #: 6483
Serial #: AL1100__.066
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.0400
Meridian or Watershed: ST STEPHENS
Parcel: Township 22N, Range 1W, Section 9

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 20 09 1839
Location: AL,
Document #: 17371
Serial #: AL2560__.096
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 39.7600
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 1W, Section 36

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 07 1848
Location: AL,
Document #: 24110
Serial #: AL2690__.412
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 39.8700
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 20S, Range 15W, Section 2

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 07 1848
Location: AL,
Document #: 24111
Serial #: AL2690__.413
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 39.9700
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 20S, Range 15W, Section 3

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 10 04 1848
Location: AL,
Document #: 9169
Serial #: AL3150__.133
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.1000
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 7E, Section 5

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 10 04 1848
Location: AL,
Document #: 9170
Serial #: AL3150__.134
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.2200
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 7E, Section 8

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 03 1850
Location: AL,
Document #: 10687
Serial #: AL3180__.110
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.0000
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 2S, Range 9E, Section 4

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 02 09 1850
Location: AL,
Document #: 11573
Serial #: AL3190__.450
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.2300
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 7E, Section 8

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 15 07 1854
Location: AL,
Document #: 15839
Serial #: AL3260__.238
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.1100
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 17S, Range 7E, Section 5

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 01 06 1858
Location: AL,
Document #: 34135
Serial #: AL2870__.244
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.1350
Meridian or Watershed: HUNTSVILLE
Parcel: Township 22S, Range 12W, Section 14

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     none

Land Record record for WILLIAM Cameron

Name: WILLIAM Cameron
Date: 02 Dec 1835
Location: OH,
Document #: 12187
Serial #: OH0960__.096
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 80.0000
Meridian or Watershed: 1ST PRINCIPAL
Parcel: Township 1 S, Range 10 E, Section 21

User-Added Notes ( click here to add a note):

     None

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· re: Camerons  :  Ross Cameron  --  4 Mar 2002

· re: Camerons  :  Jan Porter Ahola  --  14 Mar 2003

· re: Camerons  :  Marilyn Dunn Carothers  --  17 Mar 2003

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· re: Camerons  :  Ross Cameron  --  28 Mar 2003

· re: Camerons  :  Ross Cameron  --  28 Mar 2003

· re: Camerons  :  Ross Cameron  --  11 Apr 2002

· re: Camerons  :  Brenda Chambers  --  13 Jun 2005

· re: Camerons  :  Cheryl  --  14 Jun 2005

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Malinda Camron Scott Thurston
Written by Lorin T. Gremaux

Malinda with her husband, three children, her father and Mother, sisters and brothers left Arkansas via wagon train similar to the one shown below, bound for California.  The Mountain Meadow Massacre is a matter of history and I refer the reader to Juanita Brooks book for the full story.  What happened to Malinda's family is told here in the information derived from her claim, which went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court before finally being denied.

     Information derived from Claim No. 8479, U.S. Court of Claims, National Archives, submitted in 1911 by Malinda Thurston, Administratix for the estate of William Camron deceased.  (Indian Depredations)

            Name                           Malinda Camron (Scott) Thurston

            Place of birth                Alabama

            Date of birth                 Between 15 October, 1828 and 2 May 1829

            Fist marriage                 Henry Dalton Scott

            Date (approx)               1848

            Place                            Clarksville, Arkansas or vicinity

            Parents                         William and Martha Camron

            Brothers                       Tilghman Camron

                                                Ison

                                                Henry

                                                James  

                                                Larkin

            Sisters                          Martha Camron

                                                Mathilda Camron Miller

                                                Nancy Camron Littleton

            Brother-in-law              Joseph Miller

            Nephews                      William Miller

                                                Alfred Miller

                                                Eliza Miller (niece)

                                                Joseph Miller

            Cousin                          Nancy Camron

     From Malinda's statements her father was born in Illinois and when she was about 11 years old her family moved from Alabama to Clarksville.  She married one Henry Dalton Scott and resided in the vicinity of Clarksville.  On March 29, 1857 she, along with her husband and three children, Joel, Martha, George, as well as her husband's brother, Richard Thomas Scott, set out for Stockton, California by wagon.  According to Malinda, her husband's sister (unnamed) was residing in Stockton, having arrived there in 1854.

     She and her party met her father and the rest of the persons named above, somewhere in the Cherokee Nation, and at that time her father's party consisted of about four wagons.  This party continued across the plains arriving in Salt Lake City on about August 3, 1857, where upon the advice of the Mormons, the wagon train divided in order that the stock have sufficient feed.  Malinda, along with her family, including her brother-in-law and 8 or 9 others, Sam Martin being one of  these, in three other wagons continued traveling a day's journey on August 3, 1857.

     The two trains were to rejoin on the other side of Salt Lake City and continue on together to California via the Northern Humbolt Route. 

     Malinda mentions the size of the wagon trains as being about 100 persons and when it arrived at Salt Lake City other persons joined it, also that one George Baker was captain of it when it left there.

     On August 5, 1857 Malinda's father came to their wagon and informed them that the Mormons had recommended that, because of the amount of livestock in the train, they take the Southern route to California to take advantage of the better graze along that route.  Contrary to the agreement between Malinda's father and her husband, her father took the Southern Route along with the largest part of the wagon train.

     On August 7, 1857 Malinda's husband was killed by another member of the wagon train.  On August 10, she gave birth to her fourth child (Sue) and sometime thereafter, continued her journey to California, arriving in Stockton in October 1857.  Presumably later that year, she learned of the massacre at Mountain Meadows and assumed that her father and remainder of the family were killed.

     In February 1859 Malinda married Hiram Hitchcock Thurston and had five more children, (Franke, Amelia, Helen, Lillian and Frances) by this marriage.

     In her first affidavit dated 15 October 1877, Malinda stated that her parents, all of her bothers, her sister, and Joseph Miller as well as his child William Miller were killed.  Joseph Miller and Mathilda's other three children were captured and later returned to Malinda's sister Nancy Littleton (Mrs. H. Littleton).  She further stated that her cousin, Nancy Camron, was also captured, and as of the date of the affidavit, was still with the Mormons and aged about 32 years.

     Affidavits supporting Malinda's claim for compensation were prepared and sworn to by the following persons intimately acquainted with statements she made in the claim:

            Richard Thomas Scott; John P. Shaver; Ala Martin; Sam Martin and Joel Scott

     Note: From the above account one might be encouraged to belive that Nancy Camron could be the missing eighteenth child never accounted for in Juanita Brooks' account of the tragedy.  I met Mrs. Brooks on June 21, 1966, in St. George, Utah and asked her about the possibility.  She did not believe it likely since Nancy at that time would have been old enough to remember and to give evidence.    

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Read how the Mormon Killers got paid by the US Government for caring for the orphan children after they had killed their parents.