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LIFE SKETCH OF MY GRANDFATHER HENRY WILLARD BRIZZEE
Henry Willard Brizzee, son of Henry Brizzee and Lucinda Pratt, was born in North Leverett, Franklin County, Massachusetts, on May 1st, 1826. He was the fourth child of eight children.
As a young man, fond of travel and adventure, he journeyed Westward. It is assumed he may have traveled with some of the Saints and that during these travels he first heard and embraced the Gospel. It is a known fact that he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at Nauvoo, Illinois in the year 1846, being then 20 years of age. Henry enlisted in the Mormon Battalion at Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1846, and marched across the plains to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Arizona and California. He assisted in raising the American Flag at Tucson, and spent Christmas Day of that year with the peaceful Indians at Sacaton – - - marching on to San Diego, California where he again assisted in raising the Stars and Stripes there. After disbanding of the Mormon Battalion, with a re-enlistment of six months or more, he later journeyed to Salt Lake City and took part in building up that great city and the commonwealth of Utah. He engaged in the lumber business there.
He was married three separate times. He first married Emily Amanda Rockwell, daughter of Porter Rockwell. Two sons were born to this union, Charles Porter Brizzee and Henry Willard Brizzee. He married second, Melinda McKenzie Woodbury. A daughter was born to this union, Mary Melinda. (Brizzee) Pomeroy.
He married third, my Grandmother, Ann Long Didsbury. They met at a legislative Ball in Salt Lake City. Temple records show that Henry Willard Brizzee was sealed to Ann Long Didsbury in the Salt Lake Temple in 1860. Five children were born to them while residing in Utah, namely: Melissa Ann (Brizzee) Macdonald, Henry Arthur Brizzee, John Edward Brizzee, Levi Pratt Brizzee, and Lorana Woodbeck (Brizzee) Robertson. They then answered the call to help colonize Arizona and en-route here another son, William Everett Brizzee was born to them at Skull Valley, near Ashfork, Arizona. Two sons were born in Mesa, Arizona, Lorenzo Didsbury Brizzee and Leo Long Brizzee- - making in all, eight children by this third marriage.
Grandmother, Ann Long Didsbury Brizzee, was born in Southampton, ENGLAND, November 7th, 1842, daughter of Edward Didsbury and Martha Long. Her mother passed away during her baby years, so while she was a small child she resided with her Grandmother who loved her very much, and whom she loved very dearly also. She used to tell me how her beloved Grandmother would jingle the rings on her four-poster bed to waken her, dress and feed her, so that she might run down to the big gate and see the early-morning hunters in their red and green coats come galloping and jumping from chasing the “hounds”. Too soon her Grandmother became too elderly to care for her- - -she then made her home with her uncle, John Didsbury. At the age of 12 years, she with her uncle, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was baptized in England in 1855. They sailed for America – and as a child – I remember her telling us of their very rugged voyage. So rough, in fact, they were driven far off their course many times and Grandmother thereafter had such a fear of the sea that she never wanted to sail back to England, although many times she longed to go. Smallpox and Cholera broke out on the ship and many passengers were buried at sea. The ship landed in New Orleans, going up the Mississippi river to St. Louis and from there the immigrants journeyed to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Grandmother grew to young womanhood and learned how to do many useful things, one of which was beautiful hand work. She also had a lovely sing voice and was often asked to sing before large congregations. She had a stately bearing and a charming manner which drew many friends to her. As she became elderly – her snowy hair shone like a crown. She lived to be 82 years old, passing away in Mesa in the year 1924 at the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. And Mrs. Joseph D. Robertson, and is buried in the Mesa Cemetery. Now in writing of my Grandfather Brizzee’s early years (as stated before he was born in 1826), I will have to relate to you some of the years spent on the famous trek made by the Mormon Battalion in 1846-1847. At this time he was just 20 years of age, a fine, handsome young man with determination written on his face and fire in his dark eyes, possessing broad shoulders and a strong, healthy body. Good features, high brow, straight nose, firm mouth and plenty of chin upon which he wore a short, cropped beard. A photograph taken at this time shows his shirt-front thrown back like a real frontiersman, and he looks ready to go and prepared to march, if necessary, to the ends of the earth.
It makes me very proud and humble too, when I think and read of all those fine young men who had the fortitude and so-called guts and endurance to march on that long, long trail, and then in a short while travel again over the hot, dry deserts the long distance to Salt Lake to rejoin the Saints. If that didn’t take grit and long endurance through hardship and privations, then I do not know what did.
Not very long ago it was my good fortune to come upon a clipping published by the Bands of Arizona, paying honor and tribute to the Mormon Battalion as follows:
“ONLY MEN OF GREAT FORTITUDE AND NATURAL RESOURCEFULNESS COULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS MAGNIFICENT UNDERTAKING. IT WAS THE FIRST GREAT WEDGE DRIVEN INTO THE HEART OF THE SOUTHWEST TO OPEN THE WAY FOR THE FUTURE MIGRATION WHICH DEVELOPED AN INLAND EMPIRE. TO THE MORMONS***THE GREATEST DESERT COLONIZERS THE MODERN WORLD HAS KNOWN- - -BELONGS MUCH OF THE CREDIT AND GLORY FOR MAKING POSSIBLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR STILL GROWING SOUTHWEST- - -ALL HONOR TO THE MORMON BATTALION!!”
By viewing the lives of these pioneers, we see that they truly taught us, their descendants, and all the citizens of this country, lessons of faith, courage, fortitude and patriotism.
James H. McClintock, Arizona State Historian, in his book “Mormon Settlement in Arizona” states:
“THE MARCH OF THE MORMON BATTALION TO THE PACIFIC SEA IN 1846-47 CREATED ONE OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE FEATURES OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND ONE WITHOUT PARALLEL IN AMERICAN MILITARY ANNALS. ILLY CLAD AND SHOD, WITH MUSKETS OF A TYPE EVEN THEN OBSOLETE, THEY PUSHED THROUGH AND CREATED THE FIRST SOUTHWESTERN WAGON ROAD WHICH BECAME SO VERY IMPORTANT FOR LATER EXPLORATION INTO THE SOUTHWEST.”
NOTE: ( The following are excerpts from “The Mormon Battalion” by Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Salt Lake City; and James H. McClintocks” “Mormon Settlement in Arizona)
The story of the Mormon Battalion cannot properly be told without a little of the early history of the Latter-Day Saints Church which as you know was organized in 1830. During the years from 1830 to 1844, Joseph Smith, as President, and the members of the Church had moved from place to place, a persecuted people. From New York they went to Ohio, then to Missouri where they built cities with homes, churches and civic buildings, but in 1839, they were forced to abandon all they owned in Missouri and sought refuge in Nauvoo, Illinois, which was then near the frontier of civilization. Even before the death of their beloved Prophet, the Mormons knew they would have to seek refuge in a place where they could live by themselves. Such places as Oregon, Texas, California and the Big Basin of the Rocky Mountains were oft-times mentioned, so after Joseph Smith was martyred in the Carthage Jail, his successor, Brigham Young and his associates realized that the Saints must leave their beloved Nauvoo- - -and a plan was then made to go West to the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, and preparations were begun.
Soon after leaving Nauvoo in February of 1846 the body of the Saints made camp on Sugar Creek at which time President Young held a council. They were bound for the Great Basin, but 235 members of the Church had already sailed from New York on the ship Brooklyn carrying with them printing press, type paper and many other materials. It was at Sugar Creek that a temporary organization of the company was effected. It comprised 400 wagons, all heavily loaded, with less than half enough teams necessary to make the journey A petition was sent to the governor of the state of Iowa for protection while passing through that state.
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