History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834]

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
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who lived in , State of New York. He had heard something of a silver mine having been opened by the Spaniards in , Susquahanah County, State of Pensylvania, and had previous to my hiring with him been digging in order if possible to discover the mine. After I went to live with <​him​> he took me among the rest of his hands to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month without success in our undertaking, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my have <​having​> been a money digger.
January 1827
During the time that I was thus employed I was put to board with a Mr of that place, ’Twas there that I first saw my wife, (his daughter) . On the eighteenth of January Eighteen hundred and twenty seven we were married while yet I was employed in the service of . Owing to my still continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecution still followed me, and so much was excited, that he was greatly <​and my wife’s father’s family were very much​> opposed to our being married, in so much that he would not suffer us to be married at his house I was therefore under the necessity of taking her elsewhere, so we went and were married at the house of . <​Squire Tarbill [Zechariah Tarble] in South Bainbridge. Chenango County. New York.​> Immediately after my marriage I left s, and went to ’s and farmed with him that season. [HC 1:17]
September 1827
At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the and the breastplate, In <​On​> the twenty second day of September, One thousand Eight hundred and twenty seven, having went as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge that I should be responsible for them. That if I should let them go carelessly or <​through​> any neglect of mine I should be cut off, but that if I would use all my endeavours to preserve them untill <​he​> (the messenger) called should call for them, they should be protected.
I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them, for no sooner was it known that I had them than the most strenious exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be resorted invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continualy to get them from me if possible but by the wisdom of God they remained safe in my hands untill I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand, when according to arrangement the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him and he has them in his charge untill this day, being the Sec[HC 1:18]ond day of May, One thousand Eight hundred and thirty eight.
September 1827–February 1828
The excitement however still continued, and rumour with her thousand tongues was all the time employed in circulating tales about my father’s family and about myself. If I were to relate a thousandth part of them it would fill up volumes. The persecution however became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of leaving and going with <​to​> Susquahanah County in the State of Pensyllvania. While preparing to start (being very poor and the persecution so heavy upon us that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise) in the midst of our afflictions we found a friend in a Gentleman by <​the​> name of , who came to us and gave me fifty dollars [p. 8]
who lived in , State of New York. He had heard something of a silver mine having been opened by the Spaniards in , Susquahanah County, State of Pensylvania, and had previous to my hiring with him been digging in order if possible to discover the mine. After I went to live with him he took me among the rest of his hands to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month without success in our undertaking, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money digger.
January 1827
During the time that I was thus employed I was put to board with a Mr of that place, ’Twas there that I first saw my wife, (his daughter) . On the eighteenth of January Eighteen hundred and twenty seven we were married while yet I was employed in the service of . Owing to my still continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecution still followed me, and my wife’s father’s family were very much opposed to our being married, I was therefore under the necessity of taking her elsewhere, so we went and were married at the house of Squire Tarbill [Zechariah Tarble] in South Bainbridge. Chenango County. New York. Immediately after my marriage I left s, and went to ’s and farmed with him that season. [HC 1:17]
September 1827
At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the and the breastplate, On the twenty second day of September, One thousand Eight hundred and twenty seven, having went as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge that I should be responsible for them. That if I should let them go carelessly or through any neglect of mine I should be cut off, but that if I would use all my endeavours to preserve them untill he (the messenger) should call for them, they should be protected.
I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them, for no sooner was it known that I had them than the most strenious exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continualy to get them from me if possible but by the wisdom of God they remained safe in my hands untill I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand, when according to arrangement the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him and he has them in his charge untill this day, being the Sec[HC 1:18]ond day of May, One thousand Eight hundred and thirty eight.
September 1827–February 1828
The excitement however still continued, and rumour with her thousand tongues was all the time employed in circulating tales about my father’s family and about myself. If I were to relate a thousandth part of them it would fill up volumes. The persecution however became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of leaving and going with to Susquahanah County in the State of Pensyllvania. While preparing to start (being very poor and the persecution so heavy upon us that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise) in the midst of our afflictions we found a friend in a Gentleman by the name of , who came to us and gave me fifty dollars [p. 8]
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