JohnPrewit

Mountain Meadows Association

JOHN PREWIT

JOHN PREWIT

*VICTIM OF THE 1857 MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE*

John Prewit was the oldest son of David Prewit and Sarah "Sadie" Downs, born 8 January 1837 in Rutherford County, North Carolina. The Prewits, and their nine children, migrated from North Carolina to Arkansas in the late 1840's, and settled in Marion County. Headed to California, John Prewit, and his brother William, departed from Sugar Loaf Township, Marion County, Arkansas with "The Mitchell Train" in April, 1857. The Mitchell Train was comprised of the family of Charles Roark Mitchell, and his brother Joel Dyer Mitchell, who were taking approximately 74 to 100 head of cattle to California to start a cattle ranch. The Prewit brothers probably worked as a drovers, or hired hands, on the trip and may have planned to work for the Mitchells when they reached their destination in California. Another possible drover with the Mitchell Train was Lawson A. McEntire, whose family, like the Prewits, had come from Rutherford County, North Carolina and settled in Marion County, Arkansas. (Lawson McEntire's sister Rachel Dulcina McEntire, was married to George Francis Elam. George Francis Elam's father, William Thomas Elam's, second wife was Sarah Prewit, the sister of John and William Prewit.) During their journey west, the Mitchell Train traveled in conjunction with "The Dunlap Train", who were relatives of the Mitchell brothers, and were also from Sugar Loaf Township. John Prewit was single, and 20 years old, when he died in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. His 18 year old brother, William Prewit, also died in the Massacre.

Inscription:

    IN MEMORIAM

    IN THE VALLEY BELOW BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 7 AND 11, 1857, A COMPANY OF MORE THAN 120 ARKANSAS EMIGRANTS LED
    BY CAPT. JOHN T. BAKER AND CAPT. ALEXANDER FANCHER WAS ATTACKED WHILE EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA. THIS EVENT
    IS KNOWN IN HISTORY AS THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE

    JOHN PREWIT, 20

*Please note that the names of the victims of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre that appear here are those who we have personally researched and verified as actual victims. In some cases this list will differ from the names that were inscribed on the 1990 Monument on Dan Sill Hill.

Leave virtual flowers - MMA FIND A GRAVE MEMORIAL FOR JOHN PREWIT

[ Home ] [ Up ]