Henry Garlic Sherwood

Question: Was Henry Garlic Sherwood the oldest member of Brigham Young’s Vanguard Company in 1847?

Answer: Henry G. Sherwood was born on April 20, 1785 in Kingsbury, Washington, New York, to Newcomb Sherwood and Annah Totman.

Henry became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around 1835. In November 1836 Henry served a mission in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In 1837, Henry was living in Kirtland, Ohio, where the Saints had gathered. He was made a member of the Kirtland High Council on September 3, 1837. He worked on the Kirtland Temple, and owned stock in the Kirtland Safety Society. From Kirtland, Henry traveled to Missouri and after being driven out of Missouri, settled in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Henry lived in Nauvoo from 1840 to 1846. He was one of those who contracted malaria fever when the saints were first established at Commerce (as it was then called). Henry was instantly healed at that time under the hands of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Henry served as clerk for the Nauvoo High Council in 1840. Later, on February 3, 1841, he was appointed City Marshall at Nauvoo. Henry was authorized to create a City Directory of Nauvoo.

Henry was called on a mission to New Orleans, Louisiana, at a special conference of the Church held in Nauvoo, Illinois, August 16, 1841. He endured trials with the saints during their expulsion from Nauvoo in 1846 to Winter Quarters.

In 1847, at the age of 61, Henry became a member of Brigham Young’s Vanguard Company. He was the oldest member of that Company. On the journey, he was appointed commissary general for the camp, and after his arrival in Great Salt Lake Valley, he made the drawing of the first survey of Salt Lake City. Having no paper of suitable size, this important document was drawn on a prepared sheep’s skin.

Henry Sherwood became a member of the first High Council in the Salt Lake Valley in March 1849. He was a speaker at the Independence Day celebration in Salt Lake City on July 4, 1852. In September, 1852, he left Salt Lake City for San Bernardino, California, to survey a ranch recently purchased by the Church as a place of settlement for the saints, and in July, 1853 was appointed surveyor for San Bernardino County. In 1856, owing to the Johnston army troubles, the saints in San Bernardino returned to Utah.

Henry Sherwood became an agent in Salt Lake City for the Pony Express Company. Later he returned to San Bernardino, where he died on November 24, 1867. There doesn’t seem to be any record of his burial.

Source:“Life Sketch of Henry G. Sherwood,’ LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, FamilySearch.org