BackGround: Nashville Temple, Nashville, Tennessee.
I, William Byram Pace, was born Feb. 9, 1832 near Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., Tennessee. My father, James Pace was the son of James Pace who was Captain of light horse cavalry and went with his company to the support of General Andrew Jackson. He was killed at the Battle of New Orleans, 23 Dec. 1815.
My father was a thorough farmer and spent most of his time on a farm except the six years we lived in Nauvoo and he was policeman or lifeguard for Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and for Brigham Young, his successor. My mother, Lucinda Gibson Strickland was a daughter of Judge Warren Gibson Strickland and Mary Anderson. Mother was highly accomplished and well educated and the source from which I received my early training in music, arithmetic, grammar, as well as the rudiments of education. When I was two years old, my parents, with Judge Strickland and others, moved to Shelby Co., Ill., and established themselves on farms, where I grew up to be seven years old. My earliest recollection being mixed up with trying to help drive a prairie team of five or six yoke of oxen in breaking up the rolling prairie of which Illinois was so justly celebrated.
About the year 1838 my parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and early in the Spring of 1840 they moved to Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois, where I was baptized into the said Church in April 1840, being about two month over eight years old. Upon our arrival at Nauvoo, we camped on the outskirts of the town. After dinner my father proposed going down into town and call on the Prophet Joseph Smith. I, boy like insisted upon going along too, which was finally agreed upon. We had not gone far when I heartily wished myself back in camp, for all of the boys my size and larger in the neighborhood seemed to be following us. I suppose I looked like a country jake to them and they wanted to pick a quarrel. This did not quite suit my idea of right, so I kept close to my father and tried not to notice them, until their taunts were noticed by my father. Father stopped suddenly and picking out one of the largest boys among them (a crowd of about twenty), told me if I did not give that fellow a whipping he would give me one when we got back to camp. Here was a dilemma. I had been raised thus far in the country where I had been taught that fighting was wrong. I did not relish two whippings so there seemed no other alternative only to pitch in and do my best. By accident I managed to knock or push the fellow down. Then using my advantage, jumped on him, but he soon cried enough and I let him up. This was my first introduction into a town and I had no further trouble with them after that. I mention this as showing that the boys were up to date at that remote period.
The first two years in Nauvoo were mostly spent in school after which there was more or less excitement about mob violence in the settlements near around. As a precautionary the "Legion" was inspected, Silver Greys were reorganized and armed with slings, haversacks and cobble stones, and added for defense. All the boys from eight years up (not capable of bearing arms) were organized into what was called boy companies to learn drill and discipline and attached to the Nauvoo Legion as "reserves". This was no paper hat boy play, but sober reality. The companies were invariably uniformed with white pants, a kind of blouse or sailor shirt, sailor hat and wooden guns made so they would snap at the command of "Fire". At this organization I was duly elected Captain of one of the Companies of "Fifty" and commenced my career in the celebrated Nauvoo Legion when I was ten years old. My father being an expert drill master, I was soon initiated into all of the mysteries of drill and command. As soon as I got over my scare I managed very well.
I recall the names of a few only of the boys that figured prominently in these companies: Wm. Kimball, Henry P. Richards, Nelson A. Empy, Joseph Smith Jr. son of the prophet, William H. Cluff, Benjamin Cluff, Abram Hatch, and John R. Murdock, most of whom are or have recently occupied prominent places in the Church but now released on account of old age. In about one year I was taken out of the company and sent to Edward P. Desettes drumming school where I found Jesse Earl, H. P. Richard, N. A. Empy and others learning to drum. In a few weeks we were assigned to the Nauvoo Legion Marshall Band and did service there during the remaining days of Nauvoo. Much drill and guard duty was required of the Band such as field playing nearly every day or staying at Headquarters and beating the alarm at night if needed. Being a boy with no particular family cares, I came in for much of the later; hence, my associates almost from this time became men and not boys.
The summer the Prophet Joseph was killed I was twelve years old the previous February, yet the scenes of those days are vividly fresh to my mind as if done yesterday. During that season I was on duty almost the entire time, was present on the Square when the Prophet addressed the Nauvoo Legion on the importance of obeying the Governors requisition for the public arms on 22 June 1844, a synopsis of which I here insert for it's preservation:
"Brethren, we will give up our arms as the governor requires. We will give to them that asketh of us and trust in the lord for future welfare. I wish to tender you as soldiers and citizens under my command, as your general, you have done your duty faithfully in guarding this city and in guarding and preserving the lives of the people as well as mine, in a special manner, for I have seen you on duty without shoes and comfortable clothing and if I had the means to buy or could obtain those necessary things for you I would gladly do it but I cannot mortgage any of my property to get one dollar.
"But I will say this that you will be called the first Elders of the church and your mission will be to the nations of the Earth. You will gather many people into the fastnesses of the Rocky Mountains as a center for the gathering of the people and you will be faithful because you have been true and many of those who come in under your ministry, on account of their much learning, (will) seek for high places and they will set up and raise themselves to eminence above you but you will walk in low places unnoticed and you will know all that transpires in their minds and those that are your friends are my friends.
"This I will promise you that when I come again to lead you forth for I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am you will be. "I now dismiss you with my blessings to home. Amen."
The last discourse that Joseph Smith delivered in Nauvoo on the top of a frame building close to the Nauvoo house on the 24th of June 1844. Laying his hand on the head of Levi W. Hancock saying:
"This day the lord has shown me that which He has never shown me before: that I have thousands of friends that never pretended friendship, while others have sought to crawl into my bosom on account of my good feelings towards them and now they are vipers and seek my life and if they shall take it, they will pursue you. They will do it anyhow. When you are obliged to fight, be sure that you do not stain your hands in the blood of women and children, and when your enemies call for quarters be sure you grant them the same and then you will gain power over the world and you will be forever called the Nauvoo Legion, and as I have had the honor of being your General and leader I feel to say a few words for your comfort and wish to ascertain your interest and faith in your future mission of life that you are engaged in, even the same cause which the power of the priesthood sealed upon you and your callings to minister life and salvation to all nations on the face of the earth although things appear at the present bad.
"The work of our enemies that they hold at the present time overwhelming over us, but I will liken these things to a wheel of fortune. If we are at this time under the wheel it is sure to be rolling on, as sure will the saints be on top of this great wheel if they hold on the object in view.
"Our enemies are after me to trust myself amongst them by their crouching the honor of the state by the governor and authorities of Illinois.
"I will therefore say unto you as saints and as elders of Israel, be not troubled nor give yourselves uneasiness so as to make rash moves by which you may be cut short in your preaching the Gospel to this generation for you will be called upon to go forth and call upon the free men from Maine to gather themselves to the strongholds of the Rocky Mountains and the red men from the west and all people from the south and from the north and from the east to go to the west and establish themselves in the stronghold of their gathering places and there you will gather the red men to their center from their scattered and dispersed situation to become the strong arm of Jehovah, who will be a strong bulwark of protection from your foes.
"These things I feel to tell you before hand that you may always be ready for your duty for at this time I need the best of friends to stand by me and on this occasion I would like to know of you all by your answering Yes or No,
"Are you willing to lay down your lives for me?"
(Pause) Then the answer was with a unanimous voice, "Yes."
"I am your father. Shall I not be your father?
" When all with one exclamation said, "Yes."
When again he said, "I am willing to lay down my life for you and if innocent blood is spilt on this occasion, (drawing his sword out of it's scabbard and raising it above his head) I will call the Gods to bear witness of this. I will draw my sword and it shall never be sheathed again until vengeance is taken upon your enemies and I will call upon the Eternal in your defense, the winds with the whirl-winds, the thunders and the lightnings, and the hailstorms. The heavens shall tremble and with earth-quakes shall the earth be shaken, and the seas heaving beyond their bound. These things shall be brought to bear against your enemies for your preservation, as the people of the Lord.
"We have given up our arms, and they have taken away your right of protection, by our city charter; and now they desire that I surrender myself into their hands, which I have consented to do. I only go to return to you again..
" With his blessing upon us we were dismissed to go home.
I am indebted to Alfred bell of Lehi, Utah for the above two sermons taken on the spot by him and supposed to be very correct.
The next event of note was the arrival of Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young and the Twelve, who were absent at the Prophet's death, and the struggle that followed. Sidney Rigdon spent, what seemed to me, hours, haranguing the people on the importance of making him their leader, after which Brigham Young arose and said only a word, when it was observed by the whole congregation that the "mantle of Joseph" was upon him, in word, in gesture and appearance. The people arose en'masse to their feet astonished, as it appeared that Joseph had returned and was speaking to the; people. I was small and got upon a bench that I might more fully witness the "Phenomena". There was no longer any question as to who should be the leader.
Work on the temple was then completed by instruction of the Twelve under Brigham, endowments were given to many thousands, and preparations made to go West to appease the mob element that was raging around Nauvoo.
In the meantime, the mob element exercised such an influence on the Governor and Legislature that they repealed the city Charter of Nauvoo and left us without any city government, or any means of controlling the rougher element, hence the town was soon overrun with all manner of ruffians from the mob camps round about.
As we had no authority to arrest or to protect the town, the boys resorted to "whistling" That is, every boy generally could whistle and most of them had knives from ten to fourteen inches long in scabbards, "al-la-buoy", and when any of those fellows became boisterous, or showed any signs of meddling, the boy discovering it would draw his knife and commence whittling and whistling. Soon a crowd of his palls gathered, then they would surround the obnoxious element, be he large or small, many or few, and whistle and whittle in his direction and stick by him until he was out of town.
This lasted but a few weeks when it became apparent that to go into Nauvoo, men must mind their own business and not meddle with the people, or they would get whistled out. This was rather an amusing process, not a word was spoken, but an unearthly whistle, (and generally every boy had his own favorite tune) and an incessant whittling with those large knives was enough to strike terror to the heart of the victim and he got out of town as quick as his legs could carry him. Remember, the City Charter was taken away and there was no law against whittling and whistling and when fifty or a hundred boys got after the victim there was no protection and he had to "git".
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