Francis M Rowan

 

State of Arkansas
SS
County of Carroll

Be it remembered that on this 24th day of October, A.D. 1860, personally came and appeared before me, the undersigned acting and duly commissioned, and qualified, Justice of the Peace, within and for said county, Francis M. Rowan, to me personally well known, to be of lawful age, and excellent memory, and who, after being duly sworn, according to law, to testify, and the wish to speak in regard to the matters in relation to the amount, quality and value of certain personal property owned by John M. Jones, Newton Jones, Sebron Tackett, Pleasant Tackett, and others, in the month of April 1857, when they left the State of Arkansas, bound for California, upon his oath of foresaid deposed as follows, to wit;

 

My name is Francis M. Rowan, I reside in the county of Carroll and State of Arkansas. In April 1857, I was residing in the county of Washington, in this state, and the said John M. Jones and his brother Newton Jones, on their way to California, camped some 10 or 15 days within five or six miles of where I lived at that time. I had been acquainted with the Jones' boys for a number of years. Previous to that time, and when they camped there, I was frequently with the boys; I was at their camp, and saw their property, and being well acquainted with the boy's, Milam Jones, and Newton Jones particularly pointed out the property that they owned, showed me their cattle and oxen, of course I did not pay much attention to the property that I would have done, and I believed that I would have ever been called upon to testify about it, but my recollection, and belief is that the two Jones boys owned four yoke of work oxen, one large ox wagon-John M. Jones was married and had his wife and two children with him, and was moving to California. He had with him the widow Tackett and three or four of her children. Newton Jones, John M. Jones, his wife and two children, widow Tackett and three or four children, and Sebron Tackett constituted one company in family groups. The Jones boys owned the wagon, oxen and outfit, and the others seemed to be living with them and depending on the Jones boys for their support. The wagon was large and very heavily burdened; I suppose John M. Jones had a gun and other fire arms but of what value or number I do not know. Newton Jones had a fine rifle gun; they appeared to be all well supplied with beds and bedding and wearing apparel for an excursion of that kind, and also with provisions.I know that there was in the corral, sixty six or sixty eight head of stock cattle, but how many they had, that is how many the Jones' had I do not now remember, but according to the best of my recollection, Milam Jones had only about 8 head of the stock cattle as near as

 

I can now estimate. The value of the property owned by the two Jones' boys I would say that

the large ox wagon was worth in cash: $ 125.00
4 yoke of work oxen at 65.00 per yoke $ 260.00
8 head of stock cattle at 20.00 per head $ 160.00
I would say that from my knowledge of the number of persons along,
that the beds, bedding, wearing apparel, provisions,furniture, camp
equipage, etc was worth $ 500.00
They had cash on hand but how much I know not.
Newton Jones had over twenty that I know of $ 20.00
The rifle gun was worth; $ 15.00

$1075.00
(Total should be $1080.00)

 

I have made the above statement according to my personal knowledge, recollection and belief, and I can not say how much of the property belonged to Milam, or how much to Newton, only as I was informed. I think however that Newton Jones owned in his own right one yoke of oxen, and one half the wagon, and his gun; John M. Jones owned the other three yoke of oxen, the one half of said wagon and how the outfit was divided or owned among them I do not now remember. There were several other persons along, and who had separate wagons. There were 3 men by the name of Peleat, or Pilleats. The oldest one of the Peleats was a married man, had his wife and children along; they had a separate camp and wagon; there was an other man, Pleasant Tackett, who had a separate wagon; and before they started George W. Baker drove up and camped near the others. The Peleats and Pleasant Tackett had oxen and other property but I can not say how much. They had horses, and camp equipage, provisions etc., and appeared to be well fixed for the outfit, but it is impossible for me to separate the several claimants, or the amounts that each one owned, only as I have above stated and I am well satisfied that the amount of property that said parties were owners of was worth several thousand dollars. I have no doubt but what all the parties were murdered at "Mountain Meadows" in September 1857, except a few children who have been sent back to the states-and I further state that I believe that the property above described was lost or destroyed at Mountain Meadows in 1857 and further this deponent saith not. So help me God.

 

F.M. Rowan

 

Submitted and subscribed to before me this 24th day of October, 1860.

C.C. Williams, J.P.