History of Wilford Woodruff concluded
heading for printers
Chapter of Accidents
written G. S. L. City February, 1858
Varied and diverse are the lives and fortunes
of men, while the paths of some are strewen with
flowers and ease from the cradle to the grave
with naught to disturbe their peace, others apparen
tly are marked victims of variated misfortunes,
accidents, and dangers; the last named class is
the one, in whose ranks I have stoood stood, thro'
my infancy, childhood, youth & manhood, up to
the present time, so ^much so,^ that it has seemed as though
some invisaible power or fate was watching my
^foot^steps, in order to find some opportunity to take
my life from the earth; I can only attribute
the continuation of my life on Earth to the present
time, to a merciful God, whose hand has been
stretched out and rescued me from death in
the midst of many ^of the^ many dangers and hair breadth
escapes, I have passed through, some of
which I will here mention. When 3 years of age
I fell into a caldron of boiling water, was instantly
caught out, but was so badly scalded, that it was
nine months fbefore I was considered out of
danger. When at 5 years of age, I fell from the great
beam of a barn rafters ^striking^ my bare face upon the
floor, which came near breaking my neck. Three
months afterwards, I broke one of my arms, by falling
down a pair of stairs; I soon after broke my other
arm by falling out of a high stoop, upon a pile
of timber. When six years of age, I came near
being killed by a surly Bull. ^see people apart^ and was only saved
by as it were by a miracle, ^¶^ dDurring the same year, I went into my fathers saw mill, with several
others. I got upon the headblock to take a ride
while the carriage was running back, not anticipating
any danger, but before I was aware, my leg was caught
between the headblock and the fender post, and broke
both bones of my leg below the knee. I was taken to the
house and lay nine hours before my bones were
set, which time was spent amidst ^suffering severe pain, but
being young my bones soon knitt together and in
a few days, I was again upon my feet; during
my confinement, by this lameness, my bro., Thompson,
was my companion in the same room going through with
a course of the typhus fever. When 7 years of age, I was
riding on the top of a load of hay, which my uncle,
Ozen Woodruff, was driving to the barn, he turned
the load over upon me. I was nearly strangled for
the want of air, before the hay was removed. ^¶^At 8
years of age ^old^ I was riding in a one horse wagon with
several others, the horse took fright ran down a
steep hill and turned the wagon over upon us; but
again while in the midst of danger my life was pre-
served; none of us were seriously injured. When 9 years
^old^ I climbed into an elm tree to obtain bark. I stepped upon
a dry limb, which broke and I fell about 15 feet upon
my back which beat the breath out of my body, a cousin
ran and told my parents I was dead; before they
arrived at the spot, I came to my senses and met
my parents ^them^ coming to me. When 12 years of age
I was drownd in Farmington Rriver, and sunk
in 30 ft of water, and after carrying one person
to the bottom with me, I was miraculously saved
by a young man named Bacon by diving to the
bottom, and carrying with him a large stone, to holld hold
him down until he obtained my body, not expecting
to save my life ^me alive^: I suffered much in being restored to
life: ^at 13 years of age^ While passing through Farmington meadows, in the
depth of winter, the roads were drifted with snow, and in
an exceedingly blustering day I became so chilled and
overcome with cold, ^so that^ I could not travel. I crawled
into the hollow of a large apple tree a man in the
distance seeing me go into ^it^ the tree hastened to my
rescue, realizing my danger more fully than I did
when he arrived at the spot I had fallen asleep and
was nearly insensible, he had much difficulty in arousing
me to a sense of my situation, he procured means
to carry me to my father's house, and through
a kind providence my life was again preserved.
At 14 years of age, I split my left instep open with an ax
which went nearly through my foot; and it was 9 months getting
well. At 15 year of age, I was bitten in my left hand
by a mad dog in the last stage of hydrophobia; he only
dented my hand with his teeth but did not draw blood &
I was again preserved through the mercies of God
from an awful death. At the age of 17, I met
with an accident which caused me much suffering
and came near ending my life, I was riding a
very ill tempered horse, which I was not acquainted
with, and while going down a very steep ^rocky^ hill, the
horse took the ^taking^ advantage of the ground, suddenly
leaped from the ground ^road^, and ran down the
steepest part of it ^the hill^, amid the roughest of the rocks
at full speed, and commenced kicking up at
the same time, and attempted to throw me over
his head upon the rocks, but I lodged upon the top
of his head grasped hold of each ear, as with
a death grasp, expecting every moment to be dashed
to pieces among ^against^ the rocks, while in this position
sitting astride of his neck with no bridle to guide
him but his ears, he plunged down the hill under
full speed until he ran against a rock, which ^and^
dashed him to the ground. I went over both his head on
and the rock, about one rod, and struck the ground
square on my feet, being the only thing visible that
saved my life, for had I struck upon any other part
of my body, it must have killed me instantly, as it was
my bones crushed from under me as though they were
reeds, it broke my left leg twice in two places and
put out both my ankles in a shocking manner
and the Horse came near rolling over me in his
struggles to get up; my uncle, Titus Woodruff, saw
me fall got assistance me and carried me to his house
I lay from 2 O'clock ^pm^ till 10 at night without medical aid
then my Father arrived bringing Dr Swift of Farmington
with him who set my bones boxed up my limbs and carried
me in his carriage 8 miles that night to my fathers;
my sufferings were very great yet I had good attention
and in 8 weeks I was out doors upon my crutches.
In 1827 while attempting to clear the ice out of a
water wheel; standing upon the wheel with one arm
around the shaft; a man hoisted the gate and
let a full head of water upon it, as soon as the
water struck the wheel it ^the wheel^ it started, my feet slipped into the wheel
I immediately plunged head long foremost over the
rim of the wheel into about 3 feet of water and my
weight drew my legs out of the wheel, or I should
have been drawn under a shaft and crushed to
death. In 1831 while having charge of the flouring
mill in Collinsville Ct. I was standing inside of a breast
wheel 20 ft. in diameter, upon one of the arms near the
top, clearing out the ice, when a full head of water
was let on to it, it immediately started; but I droped my
ax and leaped through the wheel to the bottom of it, by
the shaft and arms about 20 feet: as I struck the bottom
of the wheel I was rolled out against a ragged stone
wall with only about 2 feet of water clearance
between it and the wheel, the wheel caught me and
rolled me out into the water below where I found myself
with-out any bones broken, but with some bruses and much fright.
During the winter of 1831, while in New hartford, Ct.
I passed through a severe fit of sickness course of
lung fever. In 1833, the day I was baptized into the church
of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints; one of my horses, newly
caught ^sharp shod^, kicked my hat off my head and had he struck
2 inches lower, would probably have killed me instantly,
in 10 minutes afterwards while driving the same team
down a hill on a sleigh without any box the bottom
boards slipped forward under the roller and caught
the ground, turned end ways and fell on the horses'
backs, ^throwing me between^ between the horses, they ran to the bottom of the
hill dragging me by ^with^ the lines, head foremost with
the sleigh on top of me about 20 rods over a smooth
snow path, I escaped unharmed however, in the
midst of both dangers. In 1834 while traveling in
Zion's camp in Mo. a rifle was accidentally discharged
and the ball passed through 3 tents with about 12 men
in each, and lodged in a wagon axletree while a
man was standing behind it, it ^and^ injured no one
^it^ passed within a few inches of my breast, and many
others escaped as narrowly as myself: a few months
afterwards a musket heavily loaded with buckshot was accidentlally snapped
with the muzzle pointed at my breast within a few
few feet of me heavily loaded with buck shot, it
had a good flint and ^was^ well primed, but it missed fire
and my life was a gain preserved. In April 1839
in Rochester Ills. I was riding upon the running
gears of a wagon without a box, I was sitting upon
the forward axletree, the bolt came out, fastening
the copuling pole, which left the hind wheels, and
my weight on the forward bolster and tongue
turned the copuling pole, clear over onto the
horses backs, turned the stakes upside down
and shut me up fast, ^between the bolster and tongue^ but in such a manner
that my head and shoulders dragged on the ground
my horses took fright and ran out into an open
prairie and thus dragged me in this possession ^position^
for about half a mile. I managed to guide them
with my left hand, so as to run them into a corner ^of a high worm^
of the fence, where we landed in a pile together. I was
considerably bruised but escaped without any broken bones.
On the Prest Joseph Smith sent
me to S from Nauvoo to St. Louis to procure a
stock of paper. I went down upon a steamboat was
6 days on the way, during which time I was severely
attacked with billious fever. The day I made my
purchase, the fever was so high I was scarcely sensible
of what I was doing, as soon as I made my
purchase, and got my freight on board, I took my
birth and lay there until I arrived at Nauvoo, which
was on the I was confined to my bed 40
days and passed through the most severe fit of
sickness I ever endured, my life was dispaired
of by many of my friends; I was administered
to by Prst Smith and the Twelve: my life was
preserved by the power of God. I took a relapse
twice after I began to recover, once while in council
with the Presidency & Twelve, my strengths left me
my breath stoped and I felt as though I was
struck with death.
On the 12th I left At 5 o'clock p.m. I
left Boston, on the express train for Portland
while passing through Chester woods 6 miles south [of]
Kennebunk some person having pried up ^raised^ the ^one of the^ rails
and put under them ^rolled^ a log, ^under it^ and it being dark
the we struck it at full speed and landed in
a pile of ruins. 3 cars were filled with passengers
and their lives were saved, by having a long
train of freight between the passenger cars and the
engine, which ^all of them^ were mashed to pieces, the engineer
was killed, some of the passengers had bones broken
I escaped unhurt.
On the , while with the Camp
of Israel building up winter quarters on the west
side of the Missouri river, (then Indian country,) I
passed through one of the most painful and serious
misfortunes I ever of any of my life I took my axe
and went two and a half miles on to the bluffs, to
cut some shingle timber to cover my shanty cabin
I was accompanied by two other men and while
falling the 3rd trees ^was falling^ which was an oak over 2 ft
diameter I stepped behind it some 10 feet, and also
to one side the same distance, where I thought I
was entirely out of danger, but when the tree fell
there being a crook in the body of it, ^which^ struck a knoll
on the ground when the whole body shot endways
back of the stump and bounded, and the butt of the
tree struck me on the breast, and knocked me several
feet into the air, ^against a standing oak^ and the falling tree followed me
in its bound and caught me against the standing
tree and I came down between the them, before
reaching the ground I was liberated from them
and struck the ground upon my feet, badly bru^i^sed
my left thigh the whole length of it and my hip
also ^and^ my left arm, it also broke my breast bone
also 3 ribs on my left side also bruised my lungs,
vitals and left side were also bruised in a shocking manner.
after the accident I sat upon a log until Mr
Mo Garrison went a quarter of a mile to get my
horse; notwithstanding I was so badly hurt I had
Nauvoo August 1st 1840
had to mount^ed^ my horse and ride ^rode^ 2 1/2 miles, over a
very rough road and had to dismount^ed^ twice
in consequence of miry places, my breast and
vitals were so badly torn to pieces that at each step of
the horse the pain went through me ^like an^ arrow; I continued
on horse back until I arrived at Turkey Creek
on the north side of Winter Quarters I then became
exhausted and was taken off my horse and
carried to my wagon in a chair; I was met in
the street by Prests Brigham Young, H. C. Kimball
& W. Richards and others who assisted in carrying
me to ^my^ family; before laying me upon my bed, the
Presidency laid hands upon me rebuked my
suffering and distress in the name of the
Lord, and said I should live and not die, I
was then laid upon my bed in my wagon
and as the Apostles prophesied upon my head
so it came to pass. I did live and not die. I
employed no physician on this occasion but
was administered to by the Elders of Israel
and nursed by my Wife. I lay upon my bed
unable to move, until my breast bone began
to knit together, which commenced on the 9th
day, I began to walk about in 20 days in
30 days from the time I was hurt, I again
commenced to do hard labor.
On the , I innoculated
my arms with poison and mortification ^ensued^; while
assisting to remove an ox that had died from
poison and had been skinned; the poison worked
through my system for seven days before it
showed itself outwardly. on the my arm began
to swell, was in great pain and showed signs
of mortification I showed it to Prest. Young who advised
me to cleanse my stomach immediately and put
on onion poultices and any thing that would draw
the poison from my system into my arm, which
I counsel I immediately put into execution. the
was another trying day to my life, the poison
had so thoroughly penetrated my whole system that
my strength left me I could not stand, I was led
to my bed, my bowels and stomach ceased to
act, my speech was like that of a drunken man
Prest. Young called into company with Dr Sprague
and laid hands upon me and rebuked the disease
and the power of the distroyer which had sceized
my body and promised me in the name of the
Lord, that I should not die but live to finished
my work which was appointed me, upon the
Earth. I soon began to recover; the poison and
mortification left my body system and centered
in my arm, and was drawn from my arm
through the aid of charcoal poultices, moistened
with a strong decoction of wormwood rag weed
and wild sage; the dead flesh was removed
from my arm with instruments and lunar caustic
and in a few days I was well again.
I have occupied considerable space in refering
to those peculiar circumstances, which have attended
me during life, and to sum the matter up, it stands
thus: I have broken both legs, one twice in two ^in two places^, both
arms, both ankles, ^dislocated^ my breast bone and three ribs, ^and ^had^ both ankles dislocated^
I have been drown^e^d, froze, scalded, and bit by
a mad dog; have been in two water wheels under
full head of water; have passed through several
severe fits of sickness; & encountered poison in its
worst forms; have landed in a pile of rail-road ruins
have barely been missed a ^the^ passing bullet, and
have passed through a score of other hair-breadth
escapes. It has appeared miraculous to me, that
with all the injuries and broken bones, which
I have met with ^had^; I have not a lame limb about
me, but have been enabled to endure the hardest
labor, exposures and journeys, have often
walked 40, 50, and on one occasion 60 miles in a
day. The protection and mercy of God has been
over me and my life thus far has been preserved
for which blessings I feel to render the gratitude
of my heart to my Heavenly Father; praying
that the remainder of my days may be
spent in his service and in the building up
of his Kingdom.
August 1832 a continuance of the foreerding subject
I have hastily noticed in the foregoing pages some of the leading circumstances
of my life, up to the time of my entering the ranks of the Servants of
God. In looking it over I find many imperfections but as it was written
some time since and in great haste I shall let it remain for the
present and continue my narrative begginning where I
left off
When I entered the ranks of Gods people and first commenced
the Christians warfare I had but faint ideas of the narrowness
of that Way, and but little realized that it was as strait a
way as the scriptures represent it to be, that but few should
find & walk in it. Much less did I in my weakness conceive
the many artful & cunning devices of Satan to draw the
child of God from the paths of holiness I had not yet learnt
by experience that the Devil like a roaring Lion goeth about
seeking whom he may devour and that he grasps with his
deadly claws every one that turns aside from the Highway
of Holiness. But as I turned and set my face Zion ward and
began to take up my march thither I soon began to hear
the — at first but whispered suggestions of the Adversary trying to
win me back to his service and I soon began to feel his firey
darts levelled and hurled at me from almost every quarter
I soon found that I had enlisted as a Soldier in a warfare
and that I must act not only the offensive but likewise
the defensive part and if I would gain the prize I must
fight. But I had yet (as a raw undiciplined recruit) to learn the
use of the armour with which Christians fight their battles
and from whom I could expect help from trouble
I could not wield with ease the Sword of the Spirit and the
Shield of Faith though a comfortable garment ^& armour^, did not fit
my body Shapen and conceive in Sin, in fine the garments
of Salvation could not be expected to fit perfectly, and set
with ease on one who had so long been clothed with shame
and clad with the filthy garments of Unrighteousness
But I had yet to learn of My Captain, of Him who is meek
and lowly some simple & humble lessons of Christianity
before I could make much resistance with the enemy
in case of an open attack. Encouraging thought that
the Captain of our Salvation being in all points tempted
as we are is able to succour those that are tempted
and that he will with every temptation provide
a way for our escape