William Prewit was the
second son of David Prewit and Sarah "Sadie" Downs, born 26 July 1839 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, William Prewit, and his brother
John, 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. William Prewit was single, and 18 years old, when he died in the
Mountain Meadows Massacre. His older brother, John Prewit, also died in
the Massacre.
© 2008 A.C. Wallner for the
Mountain Meadows Association. All rights reserved
Leave
virtual flowers - MMA FIND A GRAVE
MEMORIAL