A Brief History of Rebecca Harris
This bit of history is of Rebecca Harris, a daughter of Emer Harris and Polly Chamberlain.
She is also a niece of Martin Harris, one of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. She was
born 24 Dec 1845. Her parents were endowed at Nauvoo and sealed at Winter Quarters.
Her mother died when Rebecca was only three years old. She came across the plains with
her father and grandfather (Solomon Chamberlain, the scout known as Old Buckskin).
Rebecca walked a great deal of the way and told of gathering buffalo chips for the fire when
camp was made.
They settled in Provo and there, some very trying experiences took place. They first lived
in a dug out with a fire place and no windows. They slept in a wagon. They had no matches
so built the fires with flint rocks; this was not very easy. The first fire going was for the near
neighbor’s benefit also; they would carry coals with their shovels for their own fire. Rebecca
could be trailed from one dugout to another by the blood from her cut feet because she had
no shoes.
One day a neighbor boy was playing with her in the wagon where they slept. He picked up
an old shotgun and said he was going to shoot the cat. Rebecca protested and grabbed the
cat just as the gun went off. It missed the cat but set fire to the wagon. The neighbors soon
chipped in and built them a one room cabin and shared their bedding with them.
One day, while she was alone, an Indian came in and began helping himself to the food
they had in the cabin. Rebecca, being a fearless girl, picked up a broom and chased him out
of the cabin. It was a good thing the Indian was friendly. About this time, the Indians began
warring among themselves. One day, a squaw ran into the cabin where Rebecca was.
Unfortunately, she was followed and shot full of arrows. Under these conditions, the saints
were ordered to move. As they were crossing the Provo River on a plank bridge, Rebecca
decided she could make it alone, but failed by falling in. luckily, a man with a baby in his
arms saw her going down and reached down and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her
out. She finally reached the other side by straddling the plank and holding to the man’s coat
tail.
They next settled in Springville. One winter morning, her stepmother sent her to gather
chips for the fire. She was clad in only a print dress and no shoes and there was about four
inches of snow on the ground. Rebecca rebelled and started to cross the mountain to her
brother’s place. A man gong to the foothills for sagebrush picked her up and wrapped her in
his buffalo robe. He took her as far as he was going. About twenty four hours later, she
arrived at her brother’s home, cold, hungry and tired.
When she was eleven, she went to work for 25 cents a week. The lady she worked for
lived in the canyon and one day while the lady was gone, her husband went to the saw mill,
leaving Rebecca alone. She was out walking and became frightened by a noise in the
willows and ran back to the house. Later, a large black bear was killed by some men in
those same willows.
She is also a niece of Martin Harris, one of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. She was
born 24 Dec 1845. Her parents were endowed at Nauvoo and sealed at Winter Quarters.
Her mother died when Rebecca was only three years old. She came across the plains with
her father and grandfather (Solomon Chamberlain, the scout known as Old Buckskin).
Rebecca walked a great deal of the way and told of gathering buffalo chips for the fire when
camp was made.
They settled in Provo and there, some very trying experiences took place. They first lived
in a dug out with a fire place and no windows. They slept in a wagon. They had no matches
so built the fires with flint rocks; this was not very easy. The first fire going was for the near
neighbor’s benefit also; they would carry coals with their shovels for their own fire. Rebecca
could be trailed from one dugout to another by the blood from her cut feet because she had
no shoes.
One day a neighbor boy was playing with her in the wagon where they slept. He picked up
an old shotgun and said he was going to shoot the cat. Rebecca protested and grabbed the
cat just as the gun went off. It missed the cat but set fire to the wagon. The neighbors soon
chipped in and built them a one room cabin and shared their bedding with them.
One day, while she was alone, an Indian came in and began helping himself to the food
they had in the cabin. Rebecca, being a fearless girl, picked up a broom and chased him out
of the cabin. It was a good thing the Indian was friendly. About this time, the Indians began
warring among themselves. One day, a squaw ran into the cabin where Rebecca was.
Unfortunately, she was followed and shot full of arrows. Under these conditions, the saints
were ordered to move. As they were crossing the Provo River on a plank bridge, Rebecca
decided she could make it alone, but failed by falling in. luckily, a man with a baby in his
arms saw her going down and reached down and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her
out. She finally reached the other side by straddling the plank and holding to the man’s coat
tail.
They next settled in Springville. One winter morning, her stepmother sent her to gather
chips for the fire. She was clad in only a print dress and no shoes and there was about four
inches of snow on the ground. Rebecca rebelled and started to cross the mountain to her
brother’s place. A man gong to the foothills for sagebrush picked her up and wrapped her in
his buffalo robe. He took her as far as he was going. About twenty four hours later, she
arrived at her brother’s home, cold, hungry and tired.
When she was eleven, she went to work for 25 cents a week. The lady she worked for
lived in the canyon and one day while the lady was gone, her husband went to the saw mill,
leaving Rebecca alone. She was out walking and became frightened by a noise in the
willows and ran back to the house. Later, a large black bear was killed by some men in
those same willows.