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  • Mountain Meadows Massacre (1857)

Philip Klingensmith, Jr. was born 4 April 1815 in Hempfield, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States to Philip Klingensmith (1790-1845) and Anna Maria Kifer (1793-1829) and died August 1881 Mojave, Kern County, California, United States of unspecified causes. He married Hannah Henry Creemer (1826-1891) 28 February 1841 in Tippecanoe, Carroll County, Indiana. He married Betsey Cattell (1834-1870) 30 May 1854 in Cedar City, Iron County, Utah. He married Margaretha Elliker (1837-1898) 21 January 1857 in Utah.

Philip Klingensmith was a convert to the LDS Church from Indiana and helped to settle Southern Utah, where by 1855 he became a bishop for the ward in Cedar City, Utah.

In 1857 he was a participant in the Mountain Meadows massacre and by his own admission participated in the killing of members of the Arkansas wagon train. One of the surviving girls, he adopted into his own family, Priscilla Klingensmith (1855-1942).

Philip was so distraught about those events he turned state's evidence and testified against John D. Lee who was eventually convicted and executed for leading the massacre. In 1870 releasing a statement that became quite sensational in the whole affair. Because of this Philip and his family separated from the main church, first founding a small settlement Adventure, Utah (1860-1862) which was washed away in a flood and is now a ghost town. He moved to Lincoln County, Nevada and eventually to Kern County, California.

Rumor has it that Philip was killed in Sonora, Mexico by people involved with wanting vengence for his breaking that Silence Oath. Others say Philip died later of Natural causes.

Marriage and Family

Some of Philip's children may have dropped the 'Klingen' part of Klingensmith when Philip was excomunicated from the L.D.S. Church for giving state's evidence in his part and others of the Mountain Meadows Massacre September 11, 1857.


Children


Offspring of Philip Klingensmith, Jr. and Hannah Henry Creemer (1826-1891)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Sarah Ann Klingensmith (1842-1899)
Mary Klingensmith 1844-1845)
Moroni K. Klingensmith (1845-1867)
Hannah Henry Klingensmith (1847-1911) 30 October 1847 Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States 24 November 1911 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States Thomas Marion Mathews (1830-1893)
Nancy Anne Klingensmith (1849-1938)
Keziah Klingensmith (1851-1871)
Lavina Klingensmith (1853-1940)
Donna Isura Klingensmith (1855-1856)
Donna Klingensmith (1856-1878)
John Henry Klingensmith (1858-1908)
Phillip Klingensmith (1858-1928)
Eliza Adelia Klingensmith (1860-1891)
Margaret Alice Klingensmith (1860-1941)
Melissa Mariah Klingensmith (1862-1867)
Ellen Adelia Klingensmith (1867-1928)
Helen Amelia Klingensmith (1867-1936)


Offspring of Philip Klingensmith, Jr. and Betsey Cattell (1834-1870)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Eliza Klingesmith (1855-1855)
Priscilla Klingensmith (1855-1942)
Mary Alice Klingensmith (1857-1937)
Betsey Ann Klingensmith (1859-1926)
Margaret Jane Klingensmith (1863-1936)
William Cattle Klingensmith (1865-1866)


Offspring of Philip Klingensmith, Jr. and Margaretha Elliker (1837-1898)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Alfred Klingensmith (1858-1943)
Margaret Alice Klingensmith (1860-1941)
Elizabeth Klingensmith (1863-1951)
John Henry Klingensmith (1867-1874)



Siblings

Residences

See Also

  • Philip Klingensmith
  • Klingensmith in Carroll County, Indiana
  • Klingensmith in Washington County, Utah
  • Klingensmith in Kern County, California
  • Philip Klingensmith Jr - Geni.com



Footnotes (including sources)

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