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 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 probably 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.
© 2008 A.C. Wallner for the
Mountain Meadows Association. All rights reserved
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
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