The Brave Old Andrew Free

An Excerpt from a life sketch of Louisa Free Wells (daughter of Absalom Pennington Free).  About Absalom's father Andrew Free

 

Andrew Free-->Absalom Pennington Free-->Louesa Eve Free Rock-->Gertrude Tan Rock McFarlane-->Lenore McFarlane Ruesch-->Marilyn Schneider Ruesch

 

Story of Andrew Free

Abt 1838

Taken as an excerpt From Lessons-Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Dec 1964 under the history of Louisa Free Wells

Taken from The Women of Mormondom by Edward W. Tullidge.  New York 1877 pp 155-160. 

 

 

The Saints had been driven from Jackson County and mobs were ravaging Daviess County, but there was peace in Caldwell County until July 4, 1838, when anti-Mormons, who were waiting and watching for a pretext, took occasion from some remarks by Elder Sidney Rigdon in a commemorative speech at the celebration, to commence a crusade against the city of Far West.

 

When Louisa’s father (Absalom Pennington Free) joined the organization for defense of the city, he left a sick son at home with his womenfolk who, with five other families, had to defend their homes and lives. Louisa and her sister Emmeline, with their cousin Eliza Free, stood guard in turn on a ridge near the house for three weeks, night and day, to warn the families of the approaching mob.

 

While thus standing guard one day, the girls saw a number of horsemen carrying a red flag, and heard the beating of drums. They were a part of the mob and they had a prisoner on foot whom they were triumphantly marching to their camp. The prisoner was their grandfather, Andrew Free, though at the time the sisters did not know it.

 

It was almost night, the horsemen went directly to their camp with their prisoner of war whom they had taken, not in arms, for he was an old man, yet he was a soldier of the cross, ready to die for his faith. Already the veteran disciple had been doomed by his captors. He was to be shot.

 

One escape only had they reserved for him. Before the mob tribunal stood the old man, calm and upright in his integrity and resolved in his faith. He stood alone, face to face with death, with those stern cruel men. Then the captain of the band demanded that Mr. Free swear to renounce “Joe Smith and his d-—n religion” or they would shoot him on the spot.

 

Drawing himself up with a lofty mien and the invincible courage that the Mormons had always shown in their persecutions, the old man answered; “I have not long to live. At the most you cannot deprive me of many days. I will never betray or deny my faith which I know to be of God. Here is my breast, shoot away. I am ready to die for my religion.” At this he bared his bosom and calmly waited for the mob to fire, but the men were abashed at his fearless bearing and answer.

 

For a time the captain and his men consulted, then told their prisoner they had decided to give him until the morning to reconsider his decision. Morning came and again he was before the tribunal, fearless in the cause of his religion as he had been the previous night. Again from him came a similar answer. But he had conquered his captors and the leader declared with an oath, that any man who could be as true to his religion deserved to live. Thereupon the mob released him and he returned to his home.