My father, Loyn Blacker researched all materials that were available many years ago when he wrote the histories of his Hunt and Eynon ancestors. These are included in chapters 5 and 6 of the Wilkes Epic. Some of his sources were the memories of various relatives which may or may not be correct. He lamented not being able to find information needed to tell much of their stories.

Now, more information is available, which helps fill in some of the gaps, but also points to a few errors innocently made with incomplete data. Here is a condensed timeline for Daniel Durham Hunt and Martha Eynon.

The data in the sections labeled "Notebook" are from a notebook compiled by Helen C. Cooley Gamble, a granddaughter of Daniel D. Hunt and his first wife, Nancy, which contains Hunt family genealogical data and an autobiography of Daniel D. Hunt. The notebook was given to Loyn Blacker in 1968 by Albert E. Hunt of 6715 Village Road, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The data in the sections labeled "Papers" are from original documents that were in the possession of Loyn Blacker.

The data in the sections labeled "Heritage" are from a book called "Heritage Builders" compiled and printed in 1961 by the Hunt Family Research Association.

The borders of the sections that refer to Daniel D Hunt before his marriage to Martha Eynon are colored green. Those that apply to the Eynon family are red and those that apply to both are blue.

Ruth Blacker Waite, 2018

Notebook: 1 February 1797 or 1 February 1800

I was born Feb. 1st 1800 in the state of North Carolina, Roan Co. My father's name was Abel and my mother's name was Joanna Hunt. According to the acct. of my friends & relatives my mother died when I was only 8 days old. She was a very kind and piously inclined woman & she said I would some day do something that would be of a great benefit to the rest of the family. After the death of my mother I was taken about 500 miles distant by my Uncle Gashum Hunt, a son of the great physician, Dr, Daniel Hunt. I was treated very kindly by my Uncle Gashum and Aunt Elizabeth. They were very pious Baptists and doubtless lived according to the best light they were in possession of. When I was taken to the house of Uncle Gashum his wife, Aunt Elizabeth, deprived her own child of suck and let me take its place. In fact their benevolence and sympathy manifested toward me so endeared me to them that I regarded them as my parents.

Notebook: 1817-1818

I worked at farming with Ezekiel Ellison in the year 1817. In the year 1818 volunteers were called for to go against the Seminolean Indians in East Florida. (I would here say that the first trip I made to N. O. (New Orleans) Cousin Abel Hunt cried like a child saying I would never return. He did not break his fast for about 2 days and night previous to my departure.

When I volunteered to go in the army they were again troubled at my departure. However, I went on to Ditto's land and was mustered into service under command of Capt. Wm. Hunter and we marched on through the Cherokee Nation from thence through the frontiers of Georgia from thence to Ford Gadson on the Apilachicola River which had belonged to the Spaniards but was taken by Col. Williams who blowed it up with a hot ball. Gen. Andrew Jackson, being in front of us, had stationed some regulars to defend the place.

Notebook: 1826

We went from there to Savanna and took that place. We turned back to St. Marks and returned back to Murray Co., Tenn via Forts Gadson and Scott, stopping at Columbia the county seat. From thence to Smith County, Tenn. to Uncle Gashum Hunts. After tarrying a while I went to Tuscaloosa, South Alabama at the Falls of the Black Warrior. From thence to Mobile, Alabama from thence to Columbus, Mississippi, from thence to the mouth of the Sipsy on the Tom Bigbe River from thence to Limestone County. North Alabama near Athens and went to school. From there back to Smith County, Tenn. From thence to Fathers in Ky. This was in 1822 I think.

"This was the first time I ever saw my father where I staid 2 or 3 years and then returned back to Smith County and Married Nancy Davis in 1826. After a few years I moved to Gibson Co.

Daniel and Nancy had seven children. Two of which became well-known in the Church. John Alexander Hunt was assigned to lead the Hunt Wagon Train which followed behind the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies. James Wiseman was sent by Brigham Young with others to settle the Elk Mountain Mission, and was killed by Indians.

Ruth Blacker Waite, 2018

1840

Page 121, volume 3 of The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Church states:

"In 1840 he (John A Hunt) went to Nauvoo, Illinois with his father, where he met the prophet Joseph Smith."

6 June 1841

James Eynon and Elizabeth Griffith and their daughters Louisa, Hesther, Martha and Charlotte were listed on the Wales Census in Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire. Another daughter Mariah had married John Harlow and they with their son George were living in the same house.

The Eynon family in the 1841 Wales census.

Notebook: 7 August 1841

Daniel was baptized into the LDS Church by Andrew A Timmons in Tennessee.

Notebook: About 11 March 1843

John A. was baptized in Nauvoo, Illinois by George Brannon.

1843

James Eynon of Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire, Wales joined the LDS Church in 1843. His wife Elizabeth and some of their children joined soon after.

Heritage: 1844-1844

The following is found in the section labeled Wilson Hunt on page 51.

"In 1844 Latter-day Saint Missionaries D. D. Hunt and L. A. Brady came to Mulenburg Co. and preached in the Hebron meetinghouse, and in the school. Selia and Wilson were among those who heard the message and were baptized."

List showing the missionaries called in 1844. Daniel D. Hunt is listed as D. D. Hunt in the lower right corner.

Papers: 18 January 1845

Daniel received a Patriarchal Blessing from Patriarch John Smith, uncle to Joseph Smith. John Smith was called as the Presiding Patriarch of the Church by Brigham Young on 1 January 1849

"His path would lead among mountains and valleys and in the Wilderness. When the destroyer passes through the land thousands shall fall on thy right and on thy left but thou shalt not be hurt."

Daniel's Patriachal Blassing

19 January 1846

Daniel was sealed to Susan Davis, sister of his first wife, Nancy; and minutes later she stood as proxy for her older deceased sister. Nancy, though dead was sealed to her husband for eternities to come. We don't know when Nancy died but we think it must have been before the family moved to Nauvoo.

Notebook: 8 February 1846

Daniel and A Moor officiated in the initiatory work of Daniel's son John A in the Navoo Temple.

The fourth paragraph on this page of the notebook shows the initaitory entry.

12 April 1846

Daniel paid tithing in Nauvoo and was worthy of using the Baptismal Font.

30 April 1846

Orson Hyde and a small company of Church leaders returned to Nauvoo and privately dedicated the Temple. Possibly Daniel and family were there. With his skill as a carpenter, he worked on the temple and was certified as a police officer for Nauvoo.

July 1847

The Hunt family was in Garden Grove about 130 miles from Nauvoo. This was one of the supply stations set up by Brigham Young to aid the Saints traveling to the Valley. Some were assigned to remain in place for a year or two to build some housing, build fences, plant crops. Daniel was the first counselor in the Garden Grove branch presidency. An unfortunate episode caused Orson Hyde, leader of the Church in this area to withdraws the hand of fellowship from the branch due to rumors of evil and theft by the leaders. A hearing was held in Kanesville (later named Winter Quarters) which the presidency attended and by August 7, 1847, Orson Hyde sent a letter which completely exonerated the presidency, who had been wrongly accused by"evil and designing persons and without foundation in truth"

Mormon Migration: 5 March 1849 - 28 April 1849

On 5 March 1849 James and Elizabeth Eynon and their daughters Louisa, Martha and Charlotte sailed from Liverpool, England aboard the SS. Hartely which had been chartered by the LDS Church to take converts to New Orleans on their way to Salt Lake.

The Hartley arrived in New Orleans on 28 April 1849. Two days later the Saints boarded the steamship, Mameluck to sail up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. Almost immediately cholera struck the passengers. About 60 men, women and children died. At St. Louis, most of the surviving Saints disembarked and began to arrange travel for the west.

The Hartley passenger list showing the Eynon family.

Papers: 29 May 1849

Daniel received a tax receipt for payment of 92 cents, showing they were in Kanesville, Pottawattomie County, Iowa (Later Council Bluffs) another of the supply stations and the "jumping off " place to the Valley.

Papers: 30 January 1850

Daniel paid $1.20 taxes in Kanesville, Iowa.

8 June 1850

The Daniel Hunt family was assigned to the Aaron Johnson Company, which included 135 wagons. They were organized with captains of hundreds, fifties, and tens, by Brigham Young after the manner of the Children of Israel. They seemingly left, perhaps June 8th. The family consisted of Daniel, his seven children by Nancy, and his wives Susan Davis Hunt and Martha Eynon Hunt.

Journals left by others in this wagon train give us information not known when my father, Loyn Blacker was writing the Hunt and Eynon histories. He mentioned at the time there was nothing to find out about their trip to the Valley.

These journal entries will contain spelling and grammatical errors as they were written by the various persons. The subject of these entries tells of when this company arrived in an area where the dreaded disease of cholera lurked in the water and unsanitary conditions at that time. Cholera is a fearful disease caused by polluted water. It would cause serious fever, violent diarrhea and vomiting and muscle spasms,, quickly dehydrating the infected to the extent they could die within hours. It was said, that a person could be walking around fine at breakfast; be contaminated at 10:00 am, and be dead by 3:00 pm., especially if they were already dehydrated.

8 June 1850-12 September 1850

A Elijah Averett recorded the following:

In the spring of 1850 br. Hyde and James Allred organized a company. Br. Aaron Johnson was Captain of the hundred and I was Captain of the first fifty and Mathew Caldwell of the second fifty.

We crossed the Missouri River and struck out for the mountains. We traveled on until we crossed a little river by the name of Salt River. Here, if I recollect right, the cholery struck our Camp. I lost 17 persons in my company. I had a touch of it myself. We traveled on and kept above Fort Carney. (Kearny).

We felt that the cholery had ought to be stopped and brs Johns, HUNT, Isaac Hill and myself went out in the prairie and prayed that the Lord would stop the Cholery, and we had a testimony that it would stop. We heard a stamping in the grass nearby, but nothing was to be seen. We never had another case in our company. We saw a great many gentile graves on the road. The colery had Slayed them terribly. There was wagons, wheels, clothing, guns, bedding boots and shoes scattered along the road. (These were non-members caught up in the gold rush in California.)

8 June 1850-12 September 1850

Edward Bunker Autobiography:

In the spring of 1850, I started for Salt Lake Valley in the Capt Johnson's hundred and Matthew Caldwell's fifty and I was captain of a ten. We followed up the route of the Calif. Emigration on the south side of the Platte river. Nothing of importance happened until we came into the cholera district where the emigrants had died in great numbers and were buried by the roadside. We found one man unburied lying in the brush. He was given a burial by the company. Our camp was attacked and eighteen out of our hundred died from the effects of the cholera. My wife and daughter, Emily, who had been born to us in 1849 was taken very sick but through the power of faith and good nursing they recovered. At the end of three months we reached Salt Lake Valley Sept 1, 1850.

8 June 1850-12 September 1850

Harrison Burgess Autobiography:

I traveled from Council Bluffs with the camp in Captain Aaron Johnson's company. The blessings of the Lord seamed to attend from day to day. We often passed the bones of some of the Wretches, who took part in the Martyrdom of B Joseph and Hyram. Afted they had acted in that dreadful Tragedy, the most of them had started to cross the Plains for California, in search of the gold mines, but they generally died a most miserable Death on the Plains, as it had been predicted apon their guilty heads, received no burial or but a partial one, so that the wolves had dug them up, and there they were to be seen. Some of them could be designation by pencil writing on their skulls, and some of these skulls had been kciked along by the passersby till they were two or three miles froom where they had been buried with little sticks or boards with their names that had marked the hole into which they had been thrown. Thus Vengeance overtook them speedily

There were a few cases of Cholera in the Camp as we journeyed along. One case of a healing I will mention. A Sister McGaw was taken with Cholera in its most dreadful form. I administered to her in the morning and she seemed to be healed, but after a while it came on again, worse, if possible than ever. She said if Fr. Burgess could lay hands on her again, she would live. I was a mile back assisting some of the Brethren through some bad places of road, but the woman seemed sure she would live if I could administer to her again, that they sent a horseman after me, in all haste, who was to take charge of my team while I was gone. I road back as fast as possible, found her in extreme agony cramped so that her head and heels nearly touched each other. Just as I entered her waggon I felt the power of God resting down upon me in mighty power. I layed my hands upon her head, "In the name of Jesus Christ and by the Authority of the Holy Priesthood I commanded the Destroyer to leave her instantly , and to leave the waggon and trouble her no more. It did so forthwith, but as it retreated I heard it hiss like an adder. The woman was healed and went on her way rejoicing.

8 June 1850-12 September 1850

An article written in the Frontier Guardian 8 Jan. 1851:

Mr. Lorenzo Johnson, of this place, received a letter, dated Great Salt Lake City Oct. 15th 1850 from Bishop Aaron Johnson, his brother who left this section last spring with a company of 135 wagons; and in the letter he solicits his brother to have names published of those who died in his company on the way, believing it might afford some satisfaction to their friends at this place, or wherever they may at present reside. The names copied from the letter are as follows: John Shipley, Willis K. Johnson, Adalad Redfield, Thomas Kirk, Ruth Ann Kington, Abel Sargeant, Thomas Sargeant, Alonzo Russell, Polly Z Johnson, SUSAN HUNT, son of Elijah Pond, Eliza Hill, Lester Russell, Sarah M. Johnson, Margaret McDougal, Sister Ritchie, Sister Browitt and a gold digger.

8 June 1850-12 September 1850

Autobiography of Jacob Hamblin:

15th travaild ten miles. Brother JohnShipley died with the colery and williw Johnson and some two or three others. This was in truly a mourngul Scene to See women mourning for thare Husbands and Childrin for thare Fathers but we ware oblieg to leav them on the plaines burying them as desent as we could.
16th travald Some eight or ten mile Camped to rest our teames
17th travild eightten miles no wood level Cuntry poor water
18th fourteen miles Br thomas kirk died of Colery between elevn and twelve o clock atnight rain
19th travaild Sixteen miles Sevrel atacted with the Colery
20th 15 miles the Company was devided in to four divisions Capt Elijah Evrits (Elijan Averett who's journal already read) and martha Meacham was violant attacted with the colery and ware held by the blessins of good god
21 19 miles passed throu old Purntown no wood
22 trav 15 miles Stood gard
23 trav 8 miles laid by Widow loron mared (married) to my father ( Isaiah Hamblin) by Capt Hill 24th 24th eight miles sarjent and son (Thomas) died of Colery 2 Childrin died also Sevral taken Sick
25th 9 miles Capt Johnson cold (called) a meting it was agreed that Bro hunt Should chose two from the company to offer prayr to god for the wellfaire of the Saints
26th 9 miles mud and rain I was sick my Self pain in my side
27th myWife violently attcted with the Colery about three oclock in the moring prayd for hur and annointed hur in the name of the Lord. Doled on Brs Pectal and Hill She was releived immediately met the mail from the Salt Lake vally Capt Johnson Wife died of colery Daniel Hunt's Wife died of colery, travailed fourteenmiles thru mud and water
28th travaild 9 miles past Ft. chiles saw Lucinda the Mother of my Childrin She was the Same old Six Pense as She said (Lucinda left Jacob and children when the Saints were going west. He then was inspired to marry Rachel, a widow with two chldren quite a story Rachel is his wife now.)
29th 7 miles I was attacted with the colery it was rebuked under the hands of my Father and br Pectl
30th 9 miles I found myself with a burning fever when the company Stopt I was baptised by Br Johnson the fever was rebuked (Early Saints were baptized for serious illness) We barely had anything. My oldest boy Duane Hamblin was baptised into the Church by Eldr Daniel Hunt and confirmed by Elija Evrits
3d 17 miles wagon run over Duane when I looked out and saw him the blood was running out of his mouth at first I gave him up for lost my Father with two others administered to him he was immdeiately heeled

8 June 1850-12 September 1850

Story of Jacob Hamblin written by James A. Little for the Juvenile Instructor 1881 retelling in Jacob's words, much of the above part of Jacob's journal:

In traveling up the Platte river on our way to the mountains, we found the roadside in places, strewn with himan bones. The discovery of gold in California had induced many of the Mormon mobocrats, the year previous , to leave their homes in search of the god of this world

The cholera had raged among them to such an extent that the dead were buried without coffins, and with but a light covering of earth. The wolves had dug up and feasted upon their carcasses, and their bones lay bleaching on thedessert. There were days of travel in which human skeletons were usually in sight.

We saw the literal fulfillment of the predictions of Joseph the Prophet, during the persecutions of the Saints in Missouri. He said that those tho took an active part in driving them from their homes, should themselves die away from home without a decent burial; that their flesh should be devoured by wild beasts, and their bones should bleach upon the plains. Boars had usually been placed at the heads of the graves, on which wee the names of those who had been buried in them. Many of these names were those of well-known Missouri mobocrats.

The destroyer came into our company, and several persons died. I told my family that it was a plague from the Lord, that nothing but His power could save them from it, and that it would attack some of the family. My wife (Rachael) thought that I haad done wrong in asserting that it would atack our family, as the chldren would be afraid and be more likely to have it. I told her it would come, but when it did we must depend entirely upon the Lord all would be right.

One evening, as I returned to my wagon from assisting to bury a SISTER SISAN HUNT, Sister Hamblin was taken violently with the cholera and exclaomed "Oh Lord, help, or I die!" I annointed her with consecrated oil in the name of the Lord Jesus, and she was instantly healed. The next day the cholera attacked me and I was healed under the hands of my father. (Isaiah Hamblin)

I was advised to get into the wagon and ride the rest of the day. As my eldest son (Duane), a small lad took the whip to drive the wagon, he fell forward to the ground and both wheels on the left side of the wagon ran over his body. It appeard to me that he never could breathe again. My father took him out of the road, administered to him, and he arose to his feet and said that he was not hurt.

My youngest boy, Lyman (son of Lucinda) was taken with cholera and my father in administering to him, rebuked the destroyer and commanded him to depart from him, from the family and from the company. To my knowledge, no more cases of the cholera occurred after that in the company.

8 June 1850-12 September 1850

Joel William White Autobiography:

After traveling a short time the Cholary broke out in our company, the first dying was Bro. Shipley. Cap. Johnson came to Daniel claiborne and said you go on and travel till noon and there wait till the rest comes up we did and when they came up bro Shipley was dead and buried and Cap Johnson's William was dead. He was well when we left and helping to yoak the oxen. Captain Johnson lost two wives, a son and two teamsters with Cholary. There were about 10 or 15 died out of our company. The road was well marked with graves clothing and bedding left by the emigrants gone ahead of us."

So this is what Dad and I have been able to relate about one of our families as they sacrificed to come with the Saints to the west.

4 October 1850

The Pottawattamie County Census of 1850 lists James Eynon, age 57 and his daughter Louisa age 27. His wife, Elizabeth is not listed so she must have died. The possibility of her dying of cholera on the Mississippi River cannot be discounted.

The 1850 census in Pottawattamie County, Iowa

At this point it is time to correct a widely held mistaken belief by some of the Eynon and Hunt families, that both parents had died somewhere between New Orleans and Nauvoo. The Eynons never went to Nauvoo, as enemies set fire to the Temple and the Saints had left in 1846 three years before the Eynons arrived in New Orleans.

Some family members also claim that the three daughters arrived as orphans and Martha was adopted by Brigham Young. However James was living with Louisa in 1850, leaving no reason for Brigham Young to adopt any of the daughters in Nauvoo.

In 1853 Kanesville, Ohio was renamed Council Bluffs.

Ruth Blacker Waite, 2018