Alexander and Eunice McRae, 5th installment

As earlier mentioned, Eunice had already gone to Quincy. Before she left she had had a visit at her home from four men who came there to search for counterfeit money and for dies for making it. She gave them access to all parts of the house and they searched every part of the cupboards and dresser drawers without success. Then they tore a hole in the log floor and two of them got down and began to dig and throw dirt out. When they found nothing they turned to the door, to be confronted by Mrs. McRae with a pistol in her hand. She said: “Gentlemen, you have had your fun, now put all that dirt back in the hole you took it from, and put the floor down as it was, and clean the floor. The first man who attempts to leave before it is completed will get killed.” They had only to look at her to see she meant what she said, and they complied. [Joseph A. and Eunice H. McRae, Historical Facts Regarding the Liberty and Carthage Jails, pp. 55. This may have happened at Nauvoo, but seems more likely to have happened in Missouri.]

After five months in prison, the prisoners were in a weakened condition, having suffered terribly. Those five months had had a great effect upon them. One outward sign noticed by some was that Alexander would never allow anyone to keep a caged birth in his home. [Statement of Zina McRae Irving, March 15, 1966.] But still Alexander and Eunice believed that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God.

Alexander stayed at Quincy for a while, and on May 6, 1839, was ordained a Seventy, without his quorum being specified. [Journal History, May 6, 1839.] He was in Quincy for most of the year, because on November 29, 1839, he was one of those who presented a claim against the State of Missouri for losses of property. His claim was for $302.50 [Journal History, Nov 29, 1839.]

After leaving Quincy he and his family went to Ripley County, Indiana. Eunice’s parents and some of her brothers were living there at the time, [U.S. Census of 1840, Ripley County, Indiana.] and had probably gone there at about the same time as Alexander and Eunice had, five years earlier. Possibly this trip was made to see Eunice’s family. While they were there, their third child, Kenneth, was born on March 11, 1840. [Eleventh Ward Record, 1854-1892. This also states Kenneth was born in Clinton, Ripley County, Indiana.]

The family left Indiana and moved to Nauvoo, where Alexander set up shop as a tailor. He was active in building the city, and became a Captain in the Nauvoo Legion. He also served as aide-de-camp to General Don Carlos Smith. [Andrew Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:620.] His fourth son, Alexander, was born in Nauvoo on October 22, 1842. [Salt Lake Cemetery Record, Book A, page 48.]