Add one more Mormon to the Civil War veterans list!

Oh, and one other thing. I never figured out the identity of “Angus Wheelock” on that list of rescuers, but it must have been Cyrus’s half-brother, Andrew Jackson Wheelock, age 23, who accompanied Cyrus across the plains in 1853 and was in Utah as late as 1857, when he was endowed at the Endowment House.

Let’s see. Andrew Jackson Wheelock moved back across the plains and served as a Union soldier in the Civil War. He was in Company G, 3rd Cavalry Regiment Missouri.

The regiment was organized in the fall of 1861, Col. Glover’s commission being dated Sept. 4. During the months of Dec., 1861, and Jan., 1862, it was engaged in the suppression of the guerrillas about Palmyra, defeating them at Mountain Store, Sinking creek, Wyman’s mill, Newtonia, Hartville and other places.

It formed part of the Union forces that attacked and defeated Marmaduke at Hartville, and was active in the pursuit of that officer in his expedition into Missouri. In August and September it was in the 2nd brigade of Davidson’s division in the expedition against Little Rock, and participated in the engagements at Bayous Meto and Fourche, and Jacksonport.

In Dec., 1862 a detachment of the regiment was assigned to Gen. Carr’s command in the St. Louis district, and in March, 1864, the regiment formed part of Anderson’s brigade of Carr’s division in Steele’s Camden expedition.

It remained in Arkansas the greater part of the year on scout duty. In Jan., 1865, it was stationed at Little Rock, very much reduced by casualties and the muster out of the non-veterans at the expiration of their term of enlistment…. Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 273

Interestingly, one of the women he helped rescue moved to Manti and married the other ancestor I mentioned.

Everyone is connected.

stated that the Semi-annual Conference was now open, and that the first business was to forthwith start assistance to those now on the plains. Called upon those who were willing to go, or send teams, to come to the stand and report; saying that if there were not enough teams, teamsters, &c., volunteered, he would close the conference, and with br. Kimball, start back to help those companies.
Pres. Kimball remarked, It is moved and seconded that Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah Grant go back to help the P. E. Fund Emigrants. Unanimously negatived….
Pres. Kimball called on the blacksmiths in the congregation to retire; as they were wanted to shoe the horses and repair the wagons of those about to start to assist the brethren on the plains.

The afternoon session started with two songs and a prayer and then:

Elder C. H. Wheelock expressed his feelings on returning to the valleys of the mountains, and while on his mission.
Elder James Ferguson bore testimony to the truth of Elder Wheelock’s remarks in relation to the hand-carts, and appealed to the Saints in behalf of those who are still on the road.
Elder W. C. Dunbar sung a ‘Hand-cart song’…

I could only find one list of the 1856 rescue parties online, and the website doesn’t state the source for the names, but here’s a link. (Scroll down to Known Rescuers of the Handcart Companies)

The oldest of the rescuers seems to be 56-year-old John Lewis Dunyon, and the youngest was 12-year-old George James Forsyth. I see an ancestor of mine, some relatives of my husband, and at least one ancestor of another regular commenter at Keepa. Some of the rescuers were family members of those in the emigrant parties.

Some notable members of the company included J.D.T. McAllister, the author of the Handcart Song, slave/indentured servant Tom Bankhead, and of course Cyrus Wheelock, who served as chaplain, and conducted at least one burial service during the rescue.

Great stories!

And thus we see that eventually everybody is connected to everybody else.