Item Detail
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Coleman, Emma Beck
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MSS SC 796
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Memoirs
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Unknown
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The 'Biography of Emma Beck Coleman' is among a collection of Evans Coleman's papers. These documents were originally compiled between 1938 and 1942, although all of them refer to events either in Missouri during the late 1830s or in Arizona during the 1880s. The 'biography' is actually a typewritten, autobiographical account of Emma's experience moving into Missouri at about age 7 or 8. The account is only four pages long, and it has a typewritten note on the front stating that the first page seems to be missing. Emma explains that the Saints moved frequently because of mob violence, but that every place that they settled looked as though they intended to stay indefinitely. Her first recollection of moving was one winter when they were traveling into Missouri. Emma describes the process that the men used to break a path through the snow for the wagons. She and the other children had to stay in the wagons because of the cold and their lack of warm clothing. Emma goes into great detail as she describes the condition of their oxen. Many oxen died, the ones that remained were emaciated, and they sometimes 'froze-down' in the night and had to be loosened from the ground. Emma explains that the condition of the animals was closely tied to their own chances for survival. She remembers having only a little food, usually frozen cornbread and pork. She would place her food under her pillow at night so that it would warm up enough for her to bite into it. When an ox died it would be divided among the company for food. Emma tells a story about two little girls who rode sometimes in their wagon after their mother died. They came over to Emma's family's fire as they were having breakfast. Emma's mother asked the girls what they had eaten for breakfast. They smiled and replied, 'Oh, we had bread and brandy for breakfast this morning.' When her mother expressed surprise at anyone having some brandy, they explained that Brandy was the name of their old ox that had died that day.
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1865-1938