Hawn’s Mill Historic Site
Caldwell County, Missouri
Fourteen men and boys were buried in the James Houston blacksmith shop unfinished dry well –
- 1. Elias Benner Sr., 43, born in Venango, Pennsylvania. Spouse Eliza Cramer. Eight children. 40-acres located on North Mud Creek, and had a saw mill. His family stayed in the Midwest - some descendants still live in the Braymer, Missouri area.
- 2. John Byers was of Richland County, Ohio. He was a Caldwell County resident.
- 3. Alexander Campbell, about 35-years-old, born in Rutherford, Tennessee. Spouse: Polly Brown. 40-acres located near Taitsville, Ray County, Missouri.
- 4. Simon Cox, young man from Indiana that lived with the Jacob Myers family. Artemesia Sidnie Myers said, "[Simon Cox] lay there with four bullets, having passed through his kidneys. He said to Mother, 'All I want is a bowl of sweet milk and a feather bed to lie on.' . . . He told us to be faithful and said to me: 'Be a good girl and obey your parents’.”
- 5. Josiah Fuller Sr., 35, born in New York. Spouse: Catherine Lawr. Five children. 40-acres, located about 1 ½ miles from Hawn’s Mill. His family went to Nauvoo - some of them staying in the Midwest for a while, then emigrating west.
- 6. Austin Hammer Sr., 34, born in Randolph County, North Carolina. Spouse: Nancy Jane Elston. Seven children. He was the nephew of John York who also died. 80-acres located several miles from Hawn’s Mill. His family emigrated to Utah.
- 7. John Lee
- 8. Thomas McBride Sr., 62, born in Loudoun County, Virginia. Spouse: Catherine John. Fifteen children. Some have attributed Thomas as serving in the Revolutionary War. Actually it was his father that served in the Virginia 5th Regiment and as sergeant in Morgan’s Provisional Rifle Regiment as a sharpshooter. Two separate 40-acre parcels. One parcel was about ¾ miles east of the mill and the other parcel was about three miles west of the mill. Six of Thomas’s married children and their families lived in the general area. He was the Grand River Township magistrate. Thomas’s son James recounts, “My father came home from meeting with the brethren at the mill. He talked with me, and told me the arrangements made. He was called to help form the guard. I was sick at the time with the every-other-day ague, and father said on my well day I should take his place with the guard and that he would guard on the day that I was sick. That with himself and me, he wished to fill one man’s place . . . . Father was in good spirits and his countenance wore a cheerful expression. Having shaved himself in his usual style, leaving side beards, and taking with him his gun and blankets, started on his return to the mill to join the rest of the guard . . . .” Most of his family emigrated to Utah, some stayed in the Midwest.
- 9. Levi Newton Merrick/Myrick, 30, born in Bridport, Vermont. Spouse: Philindia Clark Eldredge. Four children. Kirtland Camp. His son Charles was mortally wounded. His family emigrated to Utah.
- 10. William Napier Sr., 43, was born in Vermont. Spouse: Ruth Hoag. Five children. He was a Caldwell County resident.
- 11. George Spencer Richards, 15, born in Richmond, Massachusetts, son of Phineas and Wealthy Dewey Richards. Kirtland Camp. He travelled with the Joseph Young family. Joseph Young was his father’s cousin. Joseph Young asked George if he would rather hold the Young’s fussy baby while Jane cooked supper, or stand guard duty. He volunteered to stand guard duty. His family emigrated to Utah.
- 12. Sardius Washington Smith, 10, born in Amherst, Ohio, son of Warren and Amanda Melissa Barnes Smith. Kirtland Camp. He went into the blacksmith shop at the time of the attack and hid behind the bellows. He was the son of Warren Smith who also died. His family emigrated to Utah.
- 13. Warren Smith, 44, born in Becket Massachusetts. Spouse: Amanda Melissa Barnes. Five children. Kirtland Camp. He was the father of Sardius Smith who also died, and Alma Smith who had his hip shot out. His family emigrated to Utah.
- 14. John York Jr., 62, was born in Randolph County, North Carolina. Spouse: Hannah Hammer. Eleven children. 40-acres located several miles northeast of Hawn’s Mill. He was the uncle of Austin Hammer who also died. His family moved to Indiana.
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Two men and one boy were mortally wounded –
- 1. Benjamin Franklin Lewis, 33, born in Pendleton, South Carolina. Spouse: Johannah Ryon. Seven children. He was a resident. He was mortally wounded while trying to make his escape from the blacksmith shop. He died a few hours later, after bearing a strong testimony of the Gospel. He also asked his wife to remain with the body of the Church. He was buried the day after the attack by his brother David. The burial took place on David’s property on the south side of the creek. Later, the county court suggested that his body be moved to a nearby cemetery – which was done. Most of his family emigrated to Utah, some stayed in the Midwest.
- 2. Charles Merrick/Myrick, 9, born in Bridport, Vermont the son of Levi and Philindia Clark Eldredge Merrick/Myrick. Kirtland Camp. He was mortally wounded and died 25 November 1838, and was buried in a nearby cemetery. His father Levi Merrick also died. His family emigrated to Utah.
- 3. Hiram Abbott, 25, born in Norwich, Connecticut, the son of Rufus and Anna Owen Abbott. 80-acres located in Rockford Township in Caldwell County. Hiram Abbott and Ellis Eames were in the process of putting up a store. On the day of the attack, Hiram Abbott and Rial Eames were cutting each other’s hair as the Missourians approached. Hiram Abbott was mortally wounded escaping the blacksmith shop. He was cared for by David Lewis for five weeks and was then moved to his father’s home and died. Some of his family stayed in the Midwest, some emigrated to Utah and California.
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