James Barnet Cole

James Barnet Cole was born Aug 22, 1828 in Concord Township, Ohio to Barnet Jr. and Phoebe Amanda Van Alystyne Cole. James served in the Mormon Battalion.

Early Life

Soon after James was born, the Cole family converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, one of the earliest families in the Church. In 1832, the Cole family moved to Independence, Missouri, as instructed by Church President Joseph Smith.

The Cole family was persecuted while in Missouri, as were many other Saints in the state. They moved to Clay County in 1833, and had relative peace until 1836 when mobsters began persecuting the Saints again. They moved farther north, had peace, then were persecuted again in 1838. At this time, Missouri Governor Boggs made the Extermination Order against the Saints. Saints were killed, resulting in the Huan's Mill Massacre. 

By 1839, the Cole family moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. After the assassination of Joseph Smith, preparations to move west began. In 1846, the Cole family moved out of Nauvoo.

Mormon Battalion

In June 1846, the United States approached the Church with the opportunity to show their alliance with the government by call 500 volunteers to fight the Mexican-American War. 500 men were gathered, called the Mormon Battalion. James was part of Company D as a Private.

"Many days James traveled with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, it was so swollen for want of water. Thus, half naked and half fed, with parched throats for want of water, living upon wild animals, they discovered and built a road of great value to our country in the southern part of the United States, to San Diego and Los Angeles. They tamped the snow for miles so the pack animals could walk over it."

James was released from active duty in July 1847.

Life in the Salt Lake Valley

After his time in the Mormon Battalion in 1847, a group of men, including James, began their way back to their families. They were advised by Church leaders to stay in Sutter's Fort (Sacramento), California until the winter was over. After winter was over, James lived in Salt Lake Valley until his family was able to move. They moved to the valley in 1850 in an unknown company.

In Oct 1856, President Young asked for men to take provisions to the Willy and Martin Handcart companies that had been abandoned in the freezing Wyoming plains. James enlisted, and while traveling to the companies, had a dream of a woman in the company whom he would marry. He found the woman, Lucy Ward, and the couple was married at Fort Bridger, Wyoming on Nov 2 during their journey to the Salt Lake Valley.

After they arrived in the valley, the Cole family made their home in Willard, Utah. In 1858, the Cole family moved south during the Utah War.

"My grandmother, Lucy Ward Cole, described to me their preparations to move south. Sacks of flour from the flourmill were piled high in the covered wagon. Then she and her baby were hoisted up to ride on the flour to Provo. So graphically did she describe it to me, it has always seemed to me like I had seen a photograph. Guards were left in Willard to set fire to their buildings."

The Cole family never moved back to Willard, deciding to remain in Provo, Utah. In 1872, the Cole family moved to Richmond where James' younger sister and brother, Lucy Ann Marie and Moroni, had founded. James could not make a living while in Richmond, so he moved his family to Ogden, Utah in 1874.

Epilogue