Orrin Porter Rockwell Fireside Packs Chapel!

By Cherry

On April 23, 1995 the John Neff Family sponsored a fireside as was advertised in our last newsletter. Business discussed included a decision to mail another newsletter to all on the mailing list while cautioning that all must contribute at least $5.00 for it to be able to continue. Families were encouraged to compile family group sheets and to seek to prepare a Book of Life (Genealogy Records).

Neff Family members packed the East Mill Creek Chapel to overflowing for an intriguing looks one of the enigmatic pioneer family members. John Rockwell, historian from Lehi Utah, shared his expertise with us as he unveiled the character of Orrin Porter Rockwell.

People have described his physical presence as tall and muscular, others as short and fat. The fact of the matter was Porter stood a "husky" 5'6". He had black hair, steel-gray eyes and a full beard. He was known for his long, wavy-hair. "Many a woman in Utah was envious because he had better looking hair than they did!"

He didn̓t particularly like his hands for they were small. Hard work kept them well-calloused to make them look masculine. He had normal male voice, but when he was angry, upset. or anxious, it would go about “eight octaves higher in a thin falsetto." To avoid embarrassment he learned to control both his voice and his temper so he wouldn̓t squeak.

A study of the life or Orrin Porter Rockwell is an intimate study in Church History and dedication to the Prophet Joseph Smith. His father (Orin with one “r”) was lured to the frontier of upstate New York and the Rockwells established their farm in Palmyra. The Smiths moved In a year later and established their farm a mile from the Rockwells. Joseph end Porter became good friends, despite their age difference of eight yearn. They shared a similar physical limitation, both had a limp. When Porter was a youngster, he broke his leg. A backwoods doctor set it incorrectly and for the rest of his life one leg was shorter than the other. He actually used a silver-headed cane in his later years, a gift from Joseph Smith. The young Prophet Joseph would often go to the Rockwell home and tell them of his visions and the marvelous things he was learning. Porter worked at odd jobs for local farmers and gave every penny he earned to Joseph to help pay for the publication of the Book of Mormon. He worked for a book he would never read, for he was illiterate!

On April 6, 1830 the Church was officially restored. Early histories listed Porter as one of the original six. This was incorrect as he was not of legal age. He was there and became the ninth person baptized into the Church at age 16.

Porter married at age 19 his first wife of four, though he was never a polygamist. In Porter̓s absences mob came to his home, terrorized his young bride, and not content with destroying the contents, they pulled down the cabin with ropes tied to their saddle horns, it was just a pile of lumber. Porter arrived to find his young bride sitting on what was their home. From that time on, Porter never went unarmed He would never be driven out again, but he would defend his people, his family and his church. He would often go to the woods and practice with a rifle and a pistol. Every time he would shoot the target, it would be an enemy of the Church. He carried a pistol with a sawed-off barrel. He carried it in the pocket of his coat as he felt a holster was clumsy. He became an excellent marksman.

The Prophet Joseph Smith had a true friend and defender in Porter Rockwell. He visited him often in the Liberty Jail and actually smuggled in hammers, chisels and en auger to aid an escape attempt. (The audience was asked to imagine the size of the loaf of bread that would have been needed to accomplish this.) He put an end to the plots against the Prophet in Nauvoo. He sent a message when he was incarcerated in the Independence Jail that enabled Joseph to uncover a secret plot. A Sheriff offered Porter $2,000 in gold pieces to betray Joseph and he staunchly refused to even consider it. He was the lone horseman to galloped through the streets of Nauvoo shouting the terrible news of the death of the Prophet and his brother Hyrum. And lastly, he felt he avenged their death somewhat by shooting Frank Wars (in self-defense), the man who deliberately defaulted on his charge to protect the Prophet while in the Carthage Jail.

Porter himself was no stranger to incarceration and vendictive judicial systems. He spent time in Independence jail on charges that he shot Governor Boggs of Missouri at Joseph̓s command. Charges that he murdered Frank Wardle were also pressed against him in Nauvoo. They were dropped in the Boggs case and he was justified with a verdict of "self-defense" in the Wardle case.

Upon Porter̓s release from the Independence Jail, the Prophet Joseph gave him a special blessing. Placing his hands on Porters shoulders he promised “As long as he was true, and faithful to his covenants, God and his Church, no bullet or blade would ever harm him.” As a token of this promise, he was told never to cut his hair. Only once did he slip and cut his hair, but all for a good cause. He met an old friend in California, Agnes Smith, the widow Don Curios Smith. She was totaly bald and recovering from a bout of typhoid fever. He cut his hair, had a wig made from the dark tresses and gave it to her. He went into hiding after that until his hair grew back.

Brigham Young called Porter to serve as a scout-guide-hunter for the advance party of saints traveling to the valley. In essence he blazed the pioneer trail West. He had an encounter with a buffalo. He maneuvered his horse through a stampeding herd until he galloped in front of the leader. Placing the rifle over his shoulder he fired and hit the beast in the head. It stopped, sized up the offending individual and chased him all the way back to the wagon train. Others brought the buffalo down with their guns and there you have it, the first home delivery!

Once in the Valley he received a plethora of assignments. He traversed the plains again, led a group to California, drove cattle from California to Utah, and served as an Indian scout and treaty negotiator.

He became close friends with John Neff of East Mill Creek. He met his daughter Mary Anne Neff when she was 18 years old. They were married by Brigham Young in his office and later sealed in the Endowment House. Six children were born to this marriage. Mary Ann, died after the birth of their 6th child, Joseph. The child died two weeks later.

Home in Salt Lake, Porter was elected Deputy Marshal. He served for years. He once said that if he had to "chase an outlaw over 100 miles he’d not come back alive? People called him "Judge Jury, and Executioner all in one. The fact of the matter was that he was not Judge, Jury, and Executioner unless you made him. A man walked into a saloon and called Porter out with a gun. He recognized the man and let him pull the trigger, but the gun would not fire. Porter then took out his own gun and “made him dance.” He then proceeded to throw him out into the street.

Porter̓s fame spread among the outlaws in the West. A group in California collected a “pot" to kill Porter. One of the men accosted him near the Jordan Narrows. Porter with his hands in the air challenged the gunman with you can't kill me, there̓s no cap in your gun. When the gunman looked down, Porter pulled his own gun and resolved the situation.

Porter loved the theater and actually performed himself as a soldier in the play Pissario. He did well the first time, but the second time he forgot his lines. He knew that he was supposed to stab the man in the chest with a dagger. Instead of waiting for the prompter, he turned and in a stage whisper asked. “Do I stick him yet?”

His last day on earth he attended the theater with his daughter. After escorting his daughter home, he went to a nearby saloon and then bedded down for the night in his office at the Colorado Stables. He became very ill during the night and remained in bed the entire day. Late in the afternoon he quickly got up and put his boots on. He laid back down on the bed and died. He died of a heart attack at the age of 65.

Porter is buried in the Salt Lake Cemetery near Wilford Woodruff. His tombstone reads: "He was brave and loyal to his faith, true to the Prophet Joseph Smith, a promise made him by the Prophet, through obedience, it was fulfilled."