Sylvester Hulet
- GIVN: Sylvester
- SURN: Hulet
- Sex: M
- Born: 2 Mar 1800 in Lee, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States
- Died: 7 Nov 1885 in Fairview, Sanpete, Utah, United States
- Buried: in Fairview Cemetery, Sanpete, Utah, United States
- AFN: 4SGM-M4
- _UID: F6CB4EFB2A0111DAB9B700A0CC5D9B65596A
- Baptised LDS: Mar 1830 in , , New York, United States 18 Dec 1845
- TEMP: NAUVO 19 Jan 1953
- Record last updated: 30 Nov 2013
- TIME: 11:39
- Notes:
Much information on Sylvester is found on this site, including videos by Lee Cox and Nancy Mackay
http://gatheringgardiners.blogspot.com
SYLVESTER HULET
By Adelia B. Sidwell & Euphrasia Cox Day
He was born 2 March 1800 in Lee, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, then emigrated to Ohio about 1820, and settled in Nelson, Portage County, one county south of Kirtland. He went on business in the vicinity of Kirtland and heard Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt., and Ziba Peterson preach the principles of Mormonism. In 1830 he bought a copy of the Book of Mormon, absorbed its contents, was baptized and returned home to Nelson, Ohio. He presented the book to his relatives, who soon became converts… but he did not tell them of his baptism.
When his sister Rhoda's husband, Robert Mills died, he took charge of her and her two children and cared for them as a provider and kind relative until the children were mature, long after their mother's death. He also practically raised his brother Francis' motherless boy, Schuyler.
About 1832 he went to Missouri, and settled in Jackson County at Far West. Only one of his brothers, Francis, was in Jackson County with the Latter-day Saints… and he not long.
(Between Jackson County and Far West comes the story of his rowing a boatload of refugees across the river.) «i»(Hulet settlement. See Church History)
«/i» He became acquainted with Orville S. Cox who was a roaming young man and who had heard many evil reports of Mormons. He asked Hulet if he had heard them. He answered, "Yes." He then asked, "What kind of people are the Mormons?" His reply was, "Come to Far West and see." He never told Cox that he was a Mormon.
Nearing the town Cox said he'd like to see the barricades the Mormons had built in defiance of the law. Hulet said, "There they are", pointing to a pile of logs and three wagons loaded with lumber standing end to end. He said, "Well if that's all it takes to make big stories about the Mormons, I guess they aren't so bad." Hulet took Cox to his home where his niece, Elvira Mills was housekeeper. From the first, Orville and Elvira cared for each other, but she did not want to marry outside the Church and he did not want to join any religion to get a girl... So they waited until Missouri drove the Mormons out and they all decided to settle in Lima, Illinois. October 3, 1839 they were married and October 6, Orville S. Cox was baptized by Joseph Smith.
When Christian Whitmer died in Far West, Sylvester Hulet married his wife, Anna. In 1846 she went East to visit her people and never did join her husband in the west. He went to Pisgah in 1846 and in July he joined the Mormon Battalion...(Second Lieutenant in Company D) was mustered into service at Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory with Colonel Allen commanding officer. They marched to Fort Leavenworth where they received their arms and equipment August 1, 1846, a full fledged son of Uncle Sam.
October 9 Battalion reached Santa Fe, New Mexico where Colonel Philip St. George Cook assumed command. The hostile Mexicans refused to sell them supplies. October 19, 1846, left Santa Fe for California. They suffered much from excessive marches and short rations.
December 11, 1846, on the San Pedro River the Battalion had an extraordinary encounter with a herd of wild Mexican bulls that were startled while feeding in a luxuriant growth of tall cane and river grass which was from four to six feet high. Amos Cox was caught on the horns of one bull and tossed over a covered wagon. It was estimated that he was thrown at least 14 feet high. The horn caught him in the groin and tore a 7 inch long cut in the flesh. Feeling that the company doctor hated the Mormons and gave them drugs to injure and not to heal, Amos requested that the knowledge of his injury be kept among his friends. Accordingly, Sylvester sewed the wound up, and he and other Elders administered to Cox. Also Hulet let Cox ride his horse, Hulet being a lieutenant. A scout rode a horse most of the time. In less than 7 days the wound was healed and Cox marched in the ranks thereafter.
December 18, 1846, the Mormon Battalion left Tucson, Arizona and suffered almost beyond human endurance from over-marching and lack of water and food. December 22, 1846, they arrived in Pima village and camped the following day by the Maricopa Indians. January 8«sup»th«/sup», 1847, they reached the mouth of the Gila River. January 10«sup»th«/sup» they crossed the Colorado, the "boys" drawing the wagons across and up the perpendicular banks with lariats. January 17, 1847, they arrived in San Luis Rey, California, a deserted Catholic Mission and from a neighboring bluff saw for the first time the Pacific Ocean.
January 29 they arrived at San Diego, California, where they rested.
April 1«sup»st«/sup», 1847, the Mormon Battalion was ordered to erect a fort on a hill near Los Angeles. When General Kearney arrived in California, he found Colonel John C. Fremont already there at the head of as brave a company of hunters, trappers, exiles, Indian traders and western explorers as was ever welded together by patriotism in one conglomerate mass for the benefit and protection of their country… All animated by intense patriotism, these noble brave fellows elected and proclaimed their beloved Fremont the first Governor of California.
Kearny was angry and there the trouble began. Kearny was the ranking officer and demanded the governorship for himself…his right as general. Fremont held only a Colonels commission, but his undaunted men declared him a General and all addressed him as such (and later the government commissioned him a General). Before this, however, Kearny arrested the Great Pathfinder and took him as a prisoner to Washington, D.C. for usurpation.
Horses to ride and pack mules were secured at Bidwell, California. Wanting a guard to escort his illustrious prisoner, he ordered the captains of the Mormon Battalion to select from each company two of their best all-around men, men who could ride the longest, do without sleep the longest, fast the longest, live on short rations the longest, load pack mules the most expeditiously, do double guard duty the best which meant do with half sleep enough. The chosen guards were Sylvester Hulet, Lieutenant of Company D, and Amos Cox of Company D. They were selected by Captain Higgins for his best men. Some of the others were Lieutenant Stoneman, Seargent N. V. Jones, Durgley, John Binley.
Once Matthew Caldwell broke a cinch and was delayed. Amos Cox went back a few rods to see why he was behind, and he discovered Indians crawling up toward him. Amos helped Caldwell and they both made it back safely.
May 31«sup»st«/sup», 1847, this detachment with Fremont left for the East, constantly making forced marches 45, sometimes 60 miles a day. They crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the State of Nevada, rested at Fort Hall near Pocatello, Idaho in July, and procured fresh horses and pack mules. Fremont had his freedom and was armed in case of Indian attack.
July 16 and 17 Soda Springs and Bear River was reached. Continuing their journey eastward they met several companies of Mormon Pioneers, including the company of C. C. Rich, in which traveled Orville S. Cox and his family, somewhere on the Platte River, near Sweetwater.
Here Amos heard the first news of his family in over a year. One sad item was that a little daughter had died. He went on with Fremont and received his honorable discharge at Fort Leavenworth, from where he hastened to his family in Iowa.
He remained near Shenandoah, Iowa, a number of years. He planted a tree on his 40 acre farm the day Abraham Lincoln was killed. That farm is now owned by Henry Field, Seedsman and he treasures the memorial tree.
Sylvester Hulet, by request, received his honorable discharge when he met C. C. Riches company and turned his face once more westward in company of 0. S. and Elvira Cox.
They arrived in Salt Lake City October 3, 1847, where he assisted in building the old adobe Fort on Pioneer Square and made himself generally useful, where they all wintered.
In the spring of 1848 he went with a company and assisted in founding Bountiful.
In the spring of 1849 he responded to a call from President Brigham Young to found a settlement on the Provo River. There they built a fort of cottonwood logs, and in the fall of 1849, when Father Morley's company to settle Manti passed through Provo, he joined them and settled in Manti.
In 1850 or 51 he went to California and washed gold.
In 1854 or 55 he honored a call of Brigham to help build a fort at Las Vegas, now in Nevada. Another call in 1856 and 1857 from President Young sent him to Las Vegas where he found lead in native condition and melted out great quantities for Mormons to use in defense of their homes against the invasion of Johnston's Army.
In Massachusetts, Rhoda asked her father how much Indian blood was in him. "Not one drop!", he answered. It was her mother, Mary Lewis, who was part Indian.
Sylvester was the brother who had Indian traits most developed: straight black hair, black eyes, high cheekbones, feet that 'toed' in a trifle, splendid scout, cat-like movements.
He finally settled in Manti and remained for about 4.0 years. His very last days were spent in Fairview with Elvira for hits nurse. He sleeps in the Fairview Cemetery beside Orville S. and Elvira Cox.
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From «i»Round Robin«/i» written by Aunt Phena in Jerome, Idaho, 31 Mar 1945: (Tryphena Cox Sidwell)
July 1897 the LDS Church had a Jubilee at Salt Lake City. All pioneers were asked to send relics there to be labeled for that great event. Mother's (Elvira P Mills Cox) Uncle Sylvester Hulet had a turning lathe, saws and other woodworking tools with which he made wooden bread bowls, butter bowls, horn combs, spinning wheels (except the heads), quill wheels, swifts, looms (except the reeds), shuttles and many other things the pioneer needed.
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Sylvester's grave stone in Fairview Cemetery gives 7 November as death date. It appears that the 17 Nov date is in error.
Father: Sylvanus HuletSylvanus Hulett, b. 7 Nov 1758 in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, United States
Mother: Mary "Polly" LewisPolly Lewis Young, b. 3 Apr 1763 in Lee, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States
Family 1: Anna Schott, b. 30 Mar 1801 in Waterloo, Seneca, New York, United States
- Divorced: Y Abt 1847
- Married: Aft 1835 in , Clay, Missouri, United States
- Notes:
Anna refused to go west with Brigham Young, and Sylvester was determined to go, so they divorced. 19 Jan 1953 3 Aug 2008
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