A Synopsis – Author Unknown

HISTORY OF SARAH PULSIPHER ALGER 1824 - 1909 It was the year 1857 when Johnson's Army were determined to enter the peaceful valley of the Saints. Sarah experienced many anxious hours as her husband went with the rest of the men into the mountains to thwart the plans of the approaching army. The inhabitants of the Valley were instructed to move south out of the way of the intruders, should they get by the guards. At this time Sarah was in a delicate condition and it was in Payson, Utah, that she gave birth to Samuel Nelson, April 26, 1857. When the troubles were over the people moved back to their homes in Salt Lake City. She next gave birth to Alva Don, January 21, 1860. Willard Edger arrived April 11, 1862. She came to spend the summer with us in Enterprise when I was about twelve years old.

Her stories made early Utah life very vivid in my mind. She told how grandfather and Uncle Charles Pulsipher were among that handful of men that circled around the knole in full view of Johnson's Army. They would have to hurry so fast on the opposite side of the hill to catch up with the last one in sight that it was hard to keep men in sight all the time. It was a rough part of the country with lots of trees and underbrush. When Grandfather was finally relieved from duty and returned home his clothes were almost entirely torn off of him. As usual he only had one suit of anything to wear so she took part of the home-made rag carpet to make him some trousers so he could return to his duty. She chuckled when she told about his beautiful striped new trousers and what a lot of fun they had had over them. Her brother, Charles, was sent into the Johnson's Army camp at night as a spy to find out what he could of their plans. He went at night while Johnson and his men were around their camp fire with their wagons in a circle as the Mormons had done. Uncle Charles crept up on the darkness and crawled [15] under a wagon until he reached the front of it and was huddled close to a small bush under the wagon tongue and double-trees. He was listening intently when he heard footsteps right close to him. He did not dare to move for fear he would be heard. The footsteps kept coming closer until they would have touched him if he had not been protected by the wagon tongue and doubletrees. In a few seconds warm water commenced to trickle down over him. He took quite a sprinkling before the soldier had finished his job and went back to the fire. Uncle Charles decided he had heard all he wanted to for one night and was not long getting out of there.

I do not remember ever being at Aunt Addie's place while Grandma lived there without there being Indians and usually a yard full of them around. They would bring pine nuts and `jerkey' or buckskin to trade for medicine. She made excellent buckskin gloves and always got a good price for them from the white folks. Sometimes the Indians would just sit on the ditch banks or steps in the shade just because they felt at home around there. The squaws did the laundry for Aunt Addie. Grandma made most of her medicine, usually pills. She had a pension from the U.S. Government when she was old, for doctoring the Indians. She was the first wife of John Alger and gave her consent to his having a second wife whom father called `Aunt Jane.' Grandma and all her children loved Aunt Jane. She almost raised both families while grandmother made the living.