Son of Austin Shepherd Merrill and Laura Wilder Harris

Married Jannette Webb, 28 Jul 1861, 28 Jul 1861, Alden, Erie, New York
Children - Laura Margaret Merrill, Horatio Epaphras Merrill

Married Martha Martine Mourtisen, 24 Dec 1866, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Children - Joseph Harris Merrill, Martin Harmon Merrill

Married Sarah Ann Smith, 11 Aug 1876, St. George, Washington, Utah
Children - Robert Wilson Merrill, Eliza Ann Merrill, Ira Lafayette Merrill, Ivan Allen Merrill, Margaret Merrill, Austin Smith Merrill

Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona
05 Dec 1895, Thu • Page 1

Newspaper -- Murdered by Indians - Solomonville. Ariz. Dec. 4. H. H. Merrill and sixteen-year-old daughter were murdered six miles west of Ash Springs yesterday evening, and moccasin tracks which were thick around the dead bodies indicate that it is the work of Indians. Sheriff Wright and posse took up the trail of the murderers this morning, which leads north. Mer ill, who was a farmer, came from Utah several years ago.

Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona
08 Dec 1895, Sun • Page 4

Newspaper -- The Merrill Murder. Wednesday morning Frank Courtney, of Duncan, brought the news to Solomonville that a man and woman had been murdered on the Solomonville and Sheldon road six miles west of Ash Springs. It was at once surmised that the murdered parties were Mr. Horatio H. Merrill and his daughter, who had camped near the residence of John Parks Monday night.

The dead bodies were discovered in the road near their wagon by J. L. T. Waters about 7 o'clock Tuesday evening as he was going home from Solomonville. When he rode up the wagon was standing across the road and the horse had whirled and locked the front wheels and one of the horses had fallen under the tongue where it yet lay. The bodies of the man and woman were yet warm and the killing had only been a few moments before. Mr. Waters hurried on to Duncan and notified the officers there and Justice Haynie and Deputy Sheriff Block gathered a coroner's jury and came at once to the scene of the murder.

An examination showed that the parties who had done the killing were composed of five or six persons, all wearing moccasins, from which the natural inference is made, Indians are responsible for the bloody deed and have added to more atrocious murders to the already long list of human butcheries in Arizona. The man was identified by papers found on the body as H. H. Merrill and his wagon was loaded with grain which he was hauling to the Clifton market. He was shot twice, once through the head. His companion was his 16-year- old daughter. She was shot twice through the body.

In the wagon was a provision box, It was carried away some two hundred yards and left empty. What provisions were not eaten was carried away. Further on the trail some distance a pocketbook, belonging to Mr. Merrill, was picked up. It contained only some papers and a small lady's ring.

History - Horatio Harris Merrill was born at Alden, Erie, New York, January 3, 1837, a son of Austin Shepherd Merrill and Laura Wilder Harris. He was one of a family of nine children, seven boys and two girls: Ledgard Dolinska, who died in infancy, Laura Cordelia, Ira Elias, Horatio Harris, Andrew Colburn, who died in infancy, Solyman Sylvanus, Sarah Cornelia, Austin Taylor and Freeborn Shepherd. He was baptized January 5, 1847 and endowed February 10, 1858.

Horatio came with his parents and brothers and sisters, Laura, Ira Solyman, Sarah, and Austin across the plains with the "Y" Company, under the captainship of Lorenzo Snow. They arrived in Salt Lake City September 1848 and located in South Cottonwood, now Sandy. He was now eleven years old.

He helped his father and brothers dig a dugout for their first home. They used the wagon box for the front door and made a roof of poles, brush and dirt. A brother, Freeborn Shepherd, was born there nine days later, September 25, 1848.

The family worked hard to provide for their needs -- a family of nine. They moved to Union Fort in 1849 and bought a farm. In 1858 they joined the Johnston Army Exodus and moved to Mountainville. In 1860 they were instructed by President Brigham Young to go to Smithfield and help settle that community. This meant real hard labor for all. Horatio was a seasoned worker all his life. Pioneer life was rough all the way. There were surely good times though for all.

On July 28, 1861, at the age of 21, Horatio married Janette Webb in the Endowment House. She was born October 23, 1846, at Council Bluffs, Iowa. She was the daughter of Charles Young Webb and Margaret Allen. She was but fifteen years of age.

Their first baby a daughter was born October 13, 1863. They named her Laura Margaret after the two grandmothers. A son was born December 13, 1865. They named him Horatio Epaphras. Janette never recovered from a hemorrhage at the birth and other complications, and passed away December 17, 1865, when the baby was but four days old, leaving a bereaved father and two babies.

Horatio hired Martine Mouritsen, a neighbor girl of fourteen, to care for them and the household. A year later, December 24, 1866, they were married in the Endowment House. Martine was born November 11, 1851 in Staun, Aalborg, Denmark, a daughter of Lars Mouritsen and Maren Sorensen, the fourth child of a family of five.

Horatio and family lived in the fort at Smithfield until the Indian troubles settled down, then bought a lot of one and one quarter acres about Second North and Main in Smithfield and built a log house fourteen feet by sixteen feet with a lean-to on the north side. The roof was of poles covered with slabs and earth. It was here that Joseph Harris was born, March 10, 1868. On January 10, 1870, a brother, Martin Herman was born.

Sorrow struck the father again as Martine too hemorrhaged and passed away January 11, 1870, leaving four children now. Before her death she requested that her mother take her two sons to raise, which they did. That summer they were going to Weston to visit and ran out of water and milk, and gave the baby a drink from a puddle by the road. He became ill and died from dysentery, August 10, 1870. Joseph lived with his grandparents and helped in the brickyard and on the farm. He was known as Joseph Mouritsen until he married and by his old friends all his days.

Horatio's parents cared for Laura and young Horatio for a time, then Laura took over the household tasks. Her father had taught her to cook and keep house when very young, and she did very well. What a responsibility for one so young, though.

Young Horatio also did a man's work while a youth. He was so strong and good with an axe. He could surely accomplish a lot in the canyon getting logs out, and helped his father in every way.

Horatio was a wheelwright and had a shop and mended wagons. Many were for those who had crossed the plains. He could take a hub, put in new spokes, then fellows -- (wooden rim), then the tire, and have a new wheel for the Saints. It was quite a trade. They would make the tire, heat it in the fire, drop it onto the wheel and cool it fast with water. If it was too tight it would buckle the tire; if too loose, they'd start over again. He also helped his father with leatherwork, making saddles, bridles, belts, shoes, purses and etc. He was a very versatile man.

He farmed and grew corn for cow feed and to dry for the winter. He built a high log frame to stand the corn against to dry. He ground corn in a coffee mill for "Johnnie bread." He made a cutting machine by drilling a hole in the end of a scythe and bolting it to a board. With this he cut the corn stocks in small pieces for the cattle so they wouldn't waste it. He made butter from the cream. It wasn't smooth but the children thought it was the best butter ever on the fresh Johnnie bread.

On October 24, 1877, he married Sarah Ann Smith in the St. George Temple. She was born at Mill Creek, Utah, a daughter of John Oliver Smith and Margaret Allen Webb, a widow who was the mother of Janette Webb, Horatio's first wife.

Now these two children had a third mother. Sarah was eighteen and Laura, thirteen. It was very hard on all of them. Laura was used to being the head of the house and doing everything for her father and young Horatio. In desperation, and to be on her own it seemed, at seventeen she married a widower, Samuel Weeks, who had three children. She was a hard worker and struggled all her life in Irwin, in Swan Valley, Idaho.

At eighteen, young Horatio was killed September 12, 1884, while hunting. He had acquired a barrel for a gun and had made a stock for it, but it had no safety catch. He and a friend went to Benson Ward to hunt in the wagon. They had no luck and started home. Along the river Horatio saw two crows and said he wasn't going home empty handed. He reached in the back of the wagon for the gun. It caught on the quilt and discharged in his face. It was a terrible shock to the family.

Sarah now had two children: Robert Wilson, born June 4, 1879, and Anna Eliza, July 27, 1881. Her mother lived with them. Three more children were born to Horatio and Sarah: Ira Lafayette, January 27, 1885; Ivan Allen, August 30, 1886; and Margaret, October 13, 1888.

She prevailed on Horatio to move to Arizona for his health. They went to Pima, Arizona in 1889. A son, Austin Smith, was born there, September 4, 1891. Horatio hauled supplies to adjoining settlements, miners etc, to support his family.

Anna Eliza was hired by a Mormon family in the mining town of Clifton, who were furnishing milk for the miners. Horatio was to deliver a load of grain to feed the cows and was taking Eliza to her job with them. They were ambushed by Indians and killed December 3, 1894, near Pima, Arizona. There is a monument at Pima for them.

The Indians couldn't be prosecuted under our law, so they were followed to Mexico and identified by the daughter's clothing, and the leader was killed. Those who killed them were censured for it because there wasn't real evidence. The clothing could have been sold.

Thus ended the life of Horatio Harris Merrill, at age fifty-seven. He lived a pioneer life of struggle, hardships, and much sorrow.

Sarah Ann later married Warner Bingham and moved to Declo, Idaho. She passed away at View, Idaho, October 28, 1952.