Biographical Sketch of the Life of Charles Hogg

(Written by my own hand)
b. 18 Sept. 1831, d. 9 Oct. 1901

I was born at Deighton, near Morthallart, Yorkshire, England, Sept. 18, 1831, one of a family of six sons and four daughters. My father was Thomas Hogg; my mother was Ellen Rowland Hogg. My father was a stock jobber. He broke me in the business when I was about five or six years of age. I hired out to a farmer when seven years of age to drive a team of horses and then worked in the brick yards three summers. Without much chance to go to school I did learn to read and write a little, and studied arithmetic a little. I hired out to a farmer named Thomas Webster when eleven years of age for one year. My wages being two pounds ten shillings or twelve dollars and fifty cents for the year. I worked for this man the three years and six months and then worked as a farm hand until I was nineteen years of age. I then worked as a drainer until the year 1855. I had to assist father's family (as wages were very low) to get the necessities of life.

I was married to Ann Stanger of Faceby, June 26, 1852. I became a little acquainted with the Gospel of Christ as revealed to Joseph Smith the same year. I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints May 29, 1853, by Moses Cluff. Spoke and bore my testimony in a public meeting four weeks after, held in the house of James Stanger. I was ordained a Priest Sept. 6, 1853, by Elder Thomas Squires. Commenced to take charge of meetings in the absence of Elder Cluff. Commenced to travel around to deliver tracts of meetings in other places. I was much blessed of the Lord in those humble efforts to help spread the eternal truths of the Gospel as revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. On April 16, 1854, I was ordained an Elder by Elder William Glover, President of the Newcastle Conference and called to act as President of the Faceby Branch the same day.

Here let me say my duties became more responsible which made us see the necessity of relying on the Lord and calling on his Holy name in might prayer to assist us in our weakness to do our duty which increased upon us. It took all our spare means we could get to buy tracts, and feed, and clothe the traveling elders, of which many came amongst us. The few saints of Faceby Branch did manfully; assisting in those temporal affairs for so small a branch, and members so young in the Church. I continued to instruct the saints and travel around in the surrounding country whenever we had time, holding meetings, bearing our testimony wherever we had a chance until the winter of 1855 when we commenced to prepare to gather to Zion. Here let me say I did to the best of my ability to warn the inhabitants of that part of the country to receive the eternal truths of Jehovah, that have been revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Saints of Faceby were all preparing to leave the Branch except Chas. Wake and family. The saints united together and raised means enough to bring Chas. Wake and family to Philadelphia. We donated three pounds or fifteen dollars.

February, 1855, the Faceby Branch was broken up by the saints all leaving, nearly all coming to Utah. As president, of said Branch, I delivered up books with Branch record to Elder Smith, traveling elder in that part. Left this part of the world Feb. 14,1855, with a conscience void of offence toward God and all men, free from debt to anyone. I visited father, mother, and what family there were at home here at Deighton, Yorkshire, England. Ten of us in family were all born in the same house. I could not stay with my beloved father and mother but a few minutes, bid them goodbye, off to catch the train. Here left father, mother, five brothers, four sisters for to gather with the people of God to the Mountains of Ephraim. Thia was Feb. 14, 1855, and stayed here until Feb. 27. Two of my sisters lived here and were very kind to myself and family which consisted to myself, wife, and child eighteen months old - James. We embarked on the ship Liddon, chartered by F. D. Richards, President of the British Mission. Captain of the ship was Wm. Taylor; President of the Company was J. S. Fulmer, a returning missionary from Utah. The passage was very long and rough with storms and head winds. Had 400 souls on board; has sea sickness very bad for nine days. Provisions were very scarce; the last three weeks had very little water. I had provided plenty for my family of our own to last us across the ocean, but we divided the last biscuit with our brethren and sisters. We lived three weeks on rice and butter, oatmeal, and had very little water to cook it with.

Arrived in Philadelphia about the 20th of April after a tedious journey of eight weeks, but thanks to our Heavenly Father we were preserved from a watery grave. Here we lived on board ship for two days. Those in charge of company never provided one mouthful of food to the starving company of poor saints for that time. We traveled by rail to Pittsburg. Here we took passage on the steamboat, Mononagalia to St. Louis. Many had to make their beds on iron that the boat was loaded with, some on a barge he had in tow. We were treated like so many cattle. We traveled down the Ohio River 1000 miles, thence up the Mississippi to St. Louis. Here the steamboat Polar Star was chartered to take the company to Atcheson, Kansas territory, to the camping ground. Good food was provided here for the company the first time since we left England. The Cholera broke our in the camp the last day we were on this boat. Two of the sisters died; I helped to bury a sister Monsome as soon as we landed. We camped out all night on landing at Atchinson that had been made by Mormon Emigrants that had been here five weeks in charge of Elder Ballantine. Commenced raining about three o'clock which gave us a good wetting with our bedding. This was a starter for crossing the plains.

We moved out on to camp ground May 14; about ten had to occupy one tent. The one we got was not finished. The first night came up a very heavy storm of wind, thunder, lightning, and rain. It blew many of the tents to the ground. The screams of women and children were painful to hear. We passed through three such nights in succession. We had never witnessed such awful storms as were so common in this country. We moved camp (after staying here a few days) to Mormon Grove, about eight miles west of Atchinson. Helped to make what was known as the Church Farm. We put in some crops for those that were to follow. Here the companies were organized to cross the plains. We joined Capt. Richard Ballantine's Company; Elder Wm. Glover was captain of guard. Here we commenced to drill and go through the Manual of Arms that we might defend ourselves from an attack of the marauding bands of Indians of which there were many in those days crossing the plains. There were then persons to one wagon and tent.

I was the only one in our outfit which made it very hard for me to have it all to do. July 2, 1855, we started to cross the long and dreary plains. We had waited a long time to get some milk cows which would have been a great help to the company as there were many children, but we had to start without. Our provisions were growing shorter every day which caused us to have to suffer before we got through with our journey. July 6 we camped on Muddy Creek. Here my wife gave birth to a son which we named William George. Started out early the next morning on our journey. We got very tired every day. We had to pull up tent every morning; after packing wood and water, loading cooking utensils into the wagon, we had to help gather up all the cattle, yoke up three yoke of oxen, drive the same every days with no one to help me. After camping at night had to stake down the tent, bring wood and water for most of the nine, do the baking, go on guard two and three nights each week.

There were fifty wagons in the company organized into tens, a captain over each ten. We were in the first ten. Elder Gardner of Payson was captain of the first ten. We used to hold meetings every night in each ten; and what seemed to me unfair was I never could go to a meeting because I had too much to do although the meetings were held close by our tent. I recollect one little episode that took place one night just as I had driven the last peg into the tent. I stepped up to the meeting which was just over; Captain Gardner asked me to dismiss the meeting which I refused to do, feeling bad that I was treated so unfair. We had to be very economical about our food. In most of the tens some of the men could hunt and kill game of which there was an abundance crossing the plains in those days, but as I could not leave the team, (I had to drive every day) we had to go without game. Did not have enough to eat only once for five weeks.

We arrived in Salt Lake City Sept. 22, 1855. We went to live at Bountiful, Davis County, with Uncle Daniel Wood. As the grasshoppers had destroyed nearly everything the previous summer, it was hard to get anything to eat to keep soul and body together. On December 14 we moved to Centerville, Davis County, rented a farm off T. J. Thurston. We raised a good crop in 1856 which was a blessing to all. Many had been without bread for weeks. In the fall and winter of 56 and 57 came about what is known as the Reformation. We were rebaptized with all the saints. I was enrolled in the Nauvoo Legion, a military expedition against what is known as the Johnston Army in charge of stock and supplies for the companies out in the mountains. With a squad of men I went to Echo and returned to Bountiful with said company of men in the month of October, 57. I went out with the said company as captain of ten when the general call was made for all to go as the army was marching towards Salt Lake City, but by the overruling hand of Providence the said army stayed as Fort Bridger all winter. We returned home from the mountains about Christmas, 1858.

In the great move south in the spring, 1858, after preparing everything ready to burn in case of war with the army, we removed to Payson. After living in a dugout all summer, we returned to Centerville, December 1858. I was promoted to captain of Centerville Infantry, Davis Co. Militia. I served as teacher of Centerville ward for many years under Bishop R. K. Smith. We moved to Marriot's Settlement, Weber Co., in the spring, 1864. We moved back to Centerville in the spring of 1865. I took charge of S. Roundy's farm; also his son's, W. Roundy, farm until the fall, 1868. We were making preparations to buy said farm when we were called with my family which consisted of my wife, Ann Stanger Hogg, and six sons and three daughters, to go south to what was known as the Muddy Mission. After selling our home and other property we could not take along, we started on the said mission, on Nov. 30, 1868, three weeks after the call came. On Dec. 3 while camped on the Virgin River, the Indian Navajoes from over the Colorado stole all our teams consisting of one pair of mules which cost us $500.00 and three fine horses. We got said mules and one horse back.

After arriving at our destination, we were advised to settle at St. Joseph, known as Sandtown, which was rightly named. It was nothing but mounds of drift sand. Here we worked hard to make us a home one year, but failed. The sand filled up the water ditches as fast as we could throw it out. I cannot describe the untold suffering the people passed through while here the summer of 69. The sand getting heated up caused the thermometer to raise from 115 to 125 degrees. I was called to move in the winter of 69 and 70 to old St. Joseph. I commenced to lay foundations on Jan. 1 and on the 20th of March 40 houses were built. Many were living in the same. Orchards were planted; thousands of grape vines put out; land broken up, crops of cotton and wheat and corn, etc.; in the fall of 1870 a large crop of wheat was put in and came up fine. The settlers began to think they could live here. For two years we had to divide our food with the Indians. Many divided their last pound of four. So the first new wheat grown had to be divided amongst all the families for supper. In Dec. 1870 the settlers had got a good road and meeting house nearly finished when word came from the First Presidency of the Church to vacate the country and return to North or elsewhere. In Feb. 1871 we left our home again; our farm and crops of fine looking grain, houses, furniture, in fact all that we could not haul with our poor teams, we had left. The settlers were preserved from death by the Indians, because they fed them and gave them clothing. While passing through those trials on the Muddy Mission, we formed acquaintances with many of our brethren and sisters which will last through the endless ages of eternity.

We left the Muddy Valley Feb. 1871. We were caught in a snow storm in the mountains, and two feet of snow fell in one night which caused much suffering on account of the people being slightly clothed. After traveling and camping 14 weeks, we arrived at West Weber on May 1, 1871, twelve in the family, destitute of clothing, food, tools and implements of all kinds gone to start life anew, having been called with our family to leave our homes three times in three years. We settled at West Weber May 1, 1871. Soon after I was appointed one of the Board of Trustees of West Weber Irrigation Co. We moved to Hooper in the fall of 1875. I had charge of Naisbett's farm, stock and mill for three years. We moved back to West Weber in the fall of 1878. I was appointed the same fall as one of the Trustees of Water Board. The year 1879 used all our energy and influence to unite the West Weber and Hooper Irrigation Companies into one company which was accomplished in the year 1880. In the same year, called Jubilee year, I paid for one person's emigration from England to Utah. Also in the same year I went into the celestial order of marriage by taking Miss Annie Todd, late from Durham County, England, to be our second wife for which we give our Eternal Father our sincere thanks for this and all other blessings He has bestowed upon us.

We have assisted in building two school houses in Centerville; expended $250.00 to help build a school and meeting house at St. Joseph on the Muddy. Expended with our family over one hundred dollars to help build a school and a meeting house here in West Weber about the year of 74. We paid towards building a new brick meeting house at West Weber in the years of 80 and 90 $65.00. Also in the same years I paid towards building two school houses nearly $60.00. Tithing in the year of 1890 amounted to about sixty dollars which was applied towards paying for the new brick meeting house at West Weber. The year 1891 has been and eventful year. Many great events have taken place such as cyclones, earthquakes, floods, accidents of all kinds, murders, suicides all over the civilized world. Wickedness is on the increase in Salt Lake City; also Ogden. The Saints have divided on party lines, some joining the Democratic, some the Republican parties. Some have not taken any part in these matters. We have been blessed of the Lord our God with good crops of all kinds; plenty in the land for all, both for all God's children and animals, flocks, and herds. Praise be unto the true living God for all Thy loving kindness bestowed upon us all. I am still living with and supporting my two families, making them as comfortable as possible and helping to pay off the indebtedness still on the meeting house at West Weber. My tithing will be for 1891 about $60.00, also fast and other donations are on the increase. Dec. 1891 I am still a disfranchised citizen of the United States but still trying hard to be a Latter Day Saint.

He died Oct. 9, 1901, West Weber, Utah, and was buried there.