Biographical Encyclopedia, by Andrew Jenson
Volume 4, Page 753
MAXWELL, WILLIAM BAILEY, a member of the Mormon Battalion, Company D, was born March 14, 1821, in Illinois. He was baptized about 1845 in Nauvoo, and was among the most valiant in the midst of fatigues, sacrifices and hardships of the Battalion experience. In the Utah troubles of 1857-1858, he was in the front rank for defense of the rights of Latter Day Saints. From 1856 to 1859 he was associated with the colonization and presidency of Santaquin in Utah County, and from that time on he spent his life in the south with pioneering and colonization labors. In 1887 he was in La Ascension, Chihuahua, Mexico, where the saints were making a settlement named Colonia Diaz. Bro. Maxwell was an efficient Indian missionary and always sustained a good influence with the natives. He went to Mesa, Arizona, from Graham County, for his health, and died in Mesa August 18, 1895.
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Book Reference: Journal of Jesse Nathaniel Smith
Publisher: Deseret News Publishing Company, 1953
The following excerpt is copied expressly to give an incident in the life of W. B. Maxwell
Page 282 - Year 1884
Jan. 14. Started for Silver City. Jacob Hamblin, W. B. Maxwell, and John Maxwell joined the party. Martha Williams stayed with her relatives. Camped for the night south of the Gila (river) 35 miles. At the camp four the brethren sang several hymns. In the night Jacob Hamblin was sick so was Bro. Hatch. Administered to them by the laying on of hands. I dreamed a dream. I seemed to be wading and swimming in a lake which was the shape of the map of North America, for I could see the whole surface. I was at about the point corresponding with my home in Snowflake and was moving south sometimes feeling the mud under my feet and sometimes only the water. I carried on my head a vase of great whiteness of elegant form and exquisite finish which contained a liquid, white in color, of which I occasionally sipped a very little. The effect seemed to be a renewal of my spiritual and also my physical strength. The water seemed of a dark and disagreeable color, but so exhilarating was the effect of the liquid in the vase that I was extremely happy and joyous. I perceived a boat near me proceeding in the same direction with me. Joseph F. Smith was in the boat. He called me and I got into the boat.
Jan. 15. Proceeded on our way. I related my dream to Jacob Hamblin as we walked together. He assured me there was nothing but prosperity in store for me, and that no one would ever prevail against me. He also made some predictions on the strength of the dream. The deep feeling of happiness remained with me throughout the day. Reached Silver city and stopped at a wagon yard. Reported to Mr. Laferre who come to see us. Notwithstanding he had urged us to come in three separate letters, yet he seemed sorry we had come. He said he had been threatened with violence for having invited us. He said we could have the free use of his hall if we concluded to hold our meetings, but that was all he could do, and he could not say what would happen if we tried to preach. We hired a room and engaged board at an eating house. We concluded to try preaching. I spoke in the evening upon the divinity of the Bible to a small and very uneasy audience, composed entirely of men. Had very good liberty. The brethren sang very well under Bro. Maxwell’s leadership. There were a number of intelligent men in attendance. We had rented a carpeted room without furniture but our bedding that we brought with us made us quite comfortable.
Jan. 16. The brethren in passing around found that our presence in town caused some considerable comment. The little city was well built, a noble courthouse, some churches and several school houses, attested the wealth and public spirit of the inhabitants. The buildings public and private were nearly all of brick. There was a squalid Mexican quarter in the suburbs. A massive jail was a prominent feature. Bro. Hatch and myself withdrew to the mountains on the north for prayer, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather. In the evening Bro. Hatch spoke upon the divinity of our Savior’s mission. The audience showed some improvement on that of the previous evening but was sill composed exclusively of males.
Jan. 17. The morning paper came out with a rabid article against the Mormons and recommended the citizens to kick us out of Silver City. Bro. Maxwell protested, stating that he was the oldest man in the party and would gladly interview any kicking man they had. Spent the day perusing the scriptures, and in the mountains. In the evening Bro. Hatch spoke on the origin of Mormonism to a still better audience. A note was handed me from Mr. Meredith, a banker, stating that he had heard the two former lectures and was much interested but that having taken cold his physician could not permit him to leave his room. At the close of the remarks a gentleman asked some explanations on the subject of the Mountain Meadows massacre, as the time was far spent these were promised the following evening.
Jan. 18. The paper again appeared containing a mass of falsehoods about the Latter Day Saints and recommending their extermination. At breakfast in the restaurant the city marshal, a Mr. Smith, assured us that he would protect us at all hazards, if necessary. Spent the day as yesterday. The interest culminated when it was announced that I would speak upon the subject of plural marriage as believed in and practiced by Latter Day Saints. Every seat was occupied, the ladies however, occupying a back room where they could not be seen. Prominent in the audience was the judge of the U.S. District Court, whose name I have forgotten, the clerk of the court and some lawyers. The judge asked and obtained the privilege of asking some questions as the lecture proceeded, not with a view to interrupt but for a better understanding of the subject. The singing was excellent. I felt unusually calm. I stated that I would endeavor to show from the scriptures of the Old Testament that the practice of plural marriage was not only sanctioned but in some instances actually commanded, and that there could not be found in the New Testament any disagreement of different doctrine on the subject. In pursuing this plan I enjoyed the most perfect liberty, frequently pausing to answer the judge’s questions. At the conclusion of my remarks the judge remarked to a lawyer beside him, “He has established all his points by the scriptures.” A gentleman arose in the audience and said, “I demand the Book of Mormon on this subject.” I had left my books at the lodging house, but Br. Tenney went and brought them. I explained that the Nephites were probably led to the practice of polygamy through reading the passages of the Old Testament that we had been considering, but they were wrong not having been instructed directly, and running before sent, but that the Lord plainly intimated that a time for the practice would come in the future. Now said the judge, “I desire to know how you Latter Day Saints come to practice it.” I opened the Book of covenants and turning to the section on the eternity of the marriage covenant I read the heading and offered to read the whole chapter, but in behalf of the audience he expressed himself as being fully satisfied.
Being weary I gave way for Bro. Jacob Hamblin to speak on the subject of the Mountain Meadows massacre which he did a masterly manner, showing that the leaders of our church had no connection with it whatever. He was followed on the same subject by Br. G. C. Williams who said that he had formerly been as greatly prejudiced against the Mormons about that matter as anyone could be, as thirteen of his blood relations perished in that massacre, but after a full and careful examination of all the facts connected with it he was satisfied that the Mormons as a people had no hand in it.
Jan. 19. Off for Pleasanton. Camped about two miles above the White House in Duck Creek Valley, 42 miles. Bro. Hatch was very sick in the night.
Jan. 20. Reached Pleasanton at noon. Our people glad to see us, having been informed by a storekeeper at Alma who left Silver city the day before that we would be lodged there.
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Excerpts from the book Edward Milo Webb, His Ancestors and Descendants, by Irene Webb Merrel,
1948, page 4
The Black Hawk War, which cost the settlers seventy lives and a vast number of horses and cattle, was carried on by the notorious Indian, Black Hawk. This story of Black Hawk bristles with adventure---the heroic exploits of men and women and even children; humor and horror strangely intermingled, for instance: a mother hiding her baby in a corn field when a war party approached, William George attacked in his field fighting off a warrior with his corn cutter, Ann Ashman and her daughter, Ellen Ashman Webb, hiding all night in a haystack, and Hugh McGee with William Maxwell molding bullets all night in a little cabin with their families, surrounded by hostile Indians. These are some of the little incidents that lend color to the larger movements of the war.
Mexico Colonies
In 1885 A. F. MacDonald and Christopher Layton were sent by church officials to Mexico to find suitable places to establish Mormon colonies. During the next two months home seekers arrived there, among the first who came from Arizona were Jesse N. Smith, William B. Maxwell, Charles W. Merrell, Phillip Gordon, Joseph Gordon and others. Soon permanent settlements - Diaz, Juarez, and Dublan were established along flat valleys of the Casa Grandes River. Other colonies--Pacheco, Garcia and Chuichupa in the tops of the Madre Mountains were settled later. In the state of Sonora the colonies of Qaxaco and Morelos were established. William B. Bailey, and James H. Ray coming in a company of twenty-two men from colonies in Chihuahua, were among the first to settle Qaxaco. There were fourteen wagons in the caravan. On March 4, 1892 the first two wagons belonging to William B. Maxwell and R. E. Vance were first to reach their destination - a valley of the Bavispe River. It was one day before others of the company arrived.
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The Following Research by Dale M. Holyoak
Upon the topographic maps of Mohave County, Arizona in sections 3, 4, 9, and 10 of Township 41N- Range 6W is shown as Maxwell Point, named for William Bailey Maxwell, who occupied the present site of Moccasin Springs, Arizona sometime before 1864 but left in 1866 because of Indian troubles. (This could be for William B. or son James B. Maxwell)
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“A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion in the Mexican War 1846-1847”
By Sgt. Daniel Tyler, published 1881
p. 123 William Maxwell listed as Private in Co. “D”
p. 320 32 men left Salt Lake 18 Oct 1847 eastward to find their families
p. 321 “….one elk killed by William Maxwell”
p. 323 “…..last of our food, which in the main consisted of rawhide saddle bags…..”
p. 324 “Capt. Pace and William Maxwell, also visited an Indian camp some distance away, to try to purchase food but failed to get any, as the Indians had none to spare. They, however, stayed all night with them and obtained a good supper and breakfast and were otherwise treated kindly.”
Three Months - Salt Lake to Winter Quarters
p. 373 Maxwell, William B., Williams Valley, Socorro Co., New Mexico, Ranchman
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From Memories That Live
A Centennial History of Utah County
Utah County Daughters of the Utah Pioneers,
Art City Publishing, Springville, Utah, 1947
(Utah U 16)
Santaquin
Pt 474-76 Following the Walker War which began in 1853 the first settlers to return to Summit City, Utah County on “the banks of Summit Creek” were in 1856, Benjamin F. Johnson, Wm. B. Maxwell, etc (in that order)
p. 477-78 “Feb. 19, 1858, the citizens of Summit, Utah county met at the school house in mass meeting and adopted the following resolutions:
“Resolved, that we fully sanction and will sustain the doctrine contained in the message of Governor Young to the legislative assembling of December 15, 1857, and that we also fully concur in all the resolutions of the legislative assembly in sustaining Governor Young and in their disapprobation of the hostile movement of the great government towards the citizens of Utah.
Resolved, that we as a people, do appeal from the violence of mobs and soldiers stimulated by corrupt prints governing editions and approbation and that we will no longer bear such aggression.
Resolved, that our lives, property and all our injustice is pledged to repeal all their aggression or the approach of an armed soldiery in our midst.
Resolve, that before our peaceful homes and our possessions shall be desecrated by our enemies, our houses shall be burned and our pleasant homes desolated and we, with our families will find shelter and defense amid the canyons and deserts of our mountain country, and as the sons of revolutionary sires will show to the world, by our patriotism and struggle for liberty, that their blood flows in our veins.
Resolve, that we consider the present administration totally corrupt and that President Buchanan, by his official movements towards Utah, has forfeited the confidence and respect of every patriotic citizen and that we do not hesitate to give to the world our disapprobation and the protest to his feelings toward us.
Resolve, that the above resolution be signed and forwarded for publication in the Deseret News. Wm. B. Maxwell, George W. Johnson, Wm. P. Goddard, Benj. Hopkins, Jas. S. Holman, Jos. S. Allen, Jos. C. Sly, John Mathis, Isaac M. Morley, Sr., Committee, Reese R. Lewellyn, Secretary.
Jams (sic) S. Holman again became Bishop of the Summit Creek Branch with George. W. Johnson as his counselor.
“It is noted with interest that the Bishop only handled the tithing while the President of the branch, who was Benjamin F. Johnson, with Wm. B. Maxwell as First Counselor and Wm. Goddard as Second Counselor, had charge of the other duties. This dual presidency lasted only until 1858”.
Spring Lake, Utah County, Utah
p. 472 “In 1863…the Mathis and Degraw families settled on ‘Lower Spring Creek’.”
Payson, Utah Co., Utah
p. 436 Wars --Spanish American Veterans - Dave Barnett (still living in 1947)
Mexican Border Guards - Clarence Degraw
William B. Maxwell baptized 12 June 1845 by Joshua Holden
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The following by Frank Bailey Maxwell
After the Battalion was mustered out at San Bernardino, Wm. B. Maxwell with two others decided to explore a new route on their way to Salt Lake City.
They were afoot and crossed through what is now Victor Villa at Barstow; then came to the river at Needles; they went down the Colorado to Yuma to their old crossing. From Yuma they returned to Tucson where they secured some army mules.
They traveled up the San Pedro River to the Gila River, then up to the Frisco River. They followed the Frisco to the headwaters at Alpine. (Note: He later returned, built a fort, and lived at Alpine. He was Presiding Elder there. It was at first called Bush Valley).
They followed the Little Colorado to the Colorado River which they crossed. In crossing the river one of their mules was lost. They found deep snow on the Kiabab Mountains and had difficulty in crossing the range of mountains.
They traveled northward by way of the present site of Richfield, Orderville, and Manti. At the present site of Provo……….they thought they had found the Great Salt Lake. They were disheartened and thought they might be lost when they found the lake was not salty. A few days later they found the settlers at Salt Lake City.
These statements are true to the best of my knowledge. They were told to me by my father, Franklin Leonard Maxwell, and were told to him by his father, William B. Maxwell.
My father also told me that he heard his grandfather, Jacob Hamblin, tell his father, William B. Maxwell at Pleasanton, New Mexico, “Billy, the pioneers in this country owe you a lot more credit than they do me for leading them into Arizona, as we have just followed back and settled at places on your old trail that you came back on from California.”
Signed: Frank Bailey Maxwell
1221 Laguna Drive
Farmington, New Mexico
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THE FOLLOWING EXCERT FROM “JACOB HAMBLIN, THE PEACEMAKER”,
By Pearson H. Corbett, copyright 1952, Deseret Book Company
p. 211 Jacob Hamblin was returning from a visit to the Moquis (Hopi’s) bringing three of them. On Jan. 7 “six days from the river ’crossed’ on New Year’s Day 1863”. “Brother Lucius M. Fuller came into camp with a dressed sheep, and some bread and flour, which were furnished by Brother William B. Maxwell, from his ranch on Short Creek forty miles beyond their camp.”
p. 212 Jacob Hamblin speaking of his trip to Salt Lake City said, “Soon after arriving home, Brother Wm. B. Maxwell and I took our three Moquis friends to Salt Lake City.”
p. 251 Soon after the first of the year 1866, word was received of the deaths of Dr. Whitmore and Mr. McIntyre (who had a ranch at Pipe Spring, Mohave Co., Arizona). A company was sent from St. George and was spoken of as arriving at “Major Maxwell’s ranch on Short Creek not far from Pipe Springs….”
In a letter; “31 men have gone from Grafton (Washington Co., Utah) under Maxwell to Pipe Springs with no other supplies than what they carried upon their horses.”
p. 268 September 28, 1869 company organized to visit the Moquis including “Captain William Maxwell.”
p. 269 “The following day they moved on to Maxwell’s Ranch after 15 miles travel and stopped to rest three hours. The ranch didn’t look the same; the rains had washed gullies 20 deep about where the yard and fields formerly stood. Captain Maxwell amused the group by drilling the ubiquitous Piedes (Piutes). The Indians enjoyed as much as the onlookers.”
October 2nd was Sunday, and meeting was called in morning to appoint officers, and to have them set apart.” D. D. McArthur, J. B. Young, and Jacob Hamblin set apart W. B. Maxwell (listed 1st) and others.
“The company was then organized with Jacob Hamblin as President; W. B. Maxwell, Captain, Thales Haskell, First Lieutenant; J. R Young, Second Lieutenant and clerk, Ira Hatch, interpreter, George Averett, Chaplain.
p. 271 “Jacob Hamblin the Peacemaker”
J. R. Young and W. B. Maxwell had a shooting match with Capt. Maxwell resulting in Thales Haskell being grazed by a bullet from Young’s rifle as Haskell napped in a cabin, a knot in which served as the target.
p. 273 Captain and Thales Haskell thought it unnecessary to check the old Ute Ford as they returned from their expedition, disagreeing with Jacob Hamblin on the point. The Navajo’s at the time were returning by that route with stolen horses and other animals.
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(F Utah 43 24740) Seventies Quorum 1859-63
Joseph Young (who ordained Wm. B. Maxwell and set him apart as the 6th President of the 46th Quorum of Seventies) was born 7 April 1797 at Hopkinton, Middlesex, Mass. His father was John and mother was Abigail (Nabby) Howe. (Joseph Young was probably a brother of Brigham Young) (Joseph Young was the 1st President of the first Quorum of Seventy).
46th Quorum of Seventy
#1 James Bennet (?) Bracken, b 14 Jan 1816, Coldrain, (?) Hamilton Co., Ohio; Father Levi, Mother, Elizabeth Clarke, bap. 10 Mar 1832 by Benjamin Benson.
#6 Wm. B. Maxwell, set apart (as 6th President of 46th Quorum) 12 May 1857 by Joseph Young at Payson. Wm. B’s residence was Santaquin.
On 17th May 1857 William B. Maxwell ordained Rees R. Llewyllyn, Wm. H. Head, Wm. P. Goddard, Charles A .Montrose, Jonathan Page, John Matthews, James A. Holman, John Atkinson, and Bent Yensen to the office of Seventy.
On 18th May 1857 Wm. B. Maxwell ordained Alba Sherman, John Jenkins, Eli Openshaw, Robert H. Dowdle (?), Samuel McClellan to the office of a Seventy.
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William B. Maxwell died at Mesa, Maricopa Co., Arizona, 26th August 1895. He was buried in Mesa, 27th August 1895 in the cemetery lot of Wm. Brizzie, another member of the Mormon Battalion.
If you are in Mesa and desire to visit his last resting place, drive north on Center Street to the cemetery, turn in the southeast gate, and in the same southeast corner you will hind his monument in the Brizzie lot.
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