The above photo was taken sometime between December 26, 1888 and May 18, 1899. Standing: (L-R) Sylvester Frazer Jones, Simon Topham, Joseph S. Barney, Lorenzo D. Watson, Thomas Chamberlain, Henry Langford, Samuel Wooley (brother of Thomas’ 6th wife Mary Elizabeth Wooley), Nephi J. Bates, Francis Webster (mayor of Cedar City 1872-1876), Cornelius McGreavey, John Thonas Covington (father of Chastie Ellen Covington, Thomas’ 5th wife, also married to a sister of Thomas’ 2 wives Ann and Ellen Alvira Carling).
Sitting: Benjamin Perkins, William Butler, Francis M. Lyman, (at the time, member of the Quorum of 12 Apostles, later president of this Quorum -- also the person who ordained Thomas Chamberlain a Patriarch in 1895). On the steps, Center: George Q. Cannon (General Authority of the LDS Church).
As descendants of Thomas, we have all heard tales of our polygamous heritage and how he served time in “the pen” for being a polygamist. Following is a brief recap of polygamy and the US Government.
In 1862, Republicans issued the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, clarifying that the practice of polygamy was illegal in all US territories. Latter-Day Saints believed that their religiously-based practice of plural marriage was protected by the Constitution. However in 1879, a unanimous Supreme Court Decision declared that polygamy was not protected by the Constitution, based on the longstanding legal principle that "laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinions, they may with practices." Increasingly harsh anti-polygamy legislation penalized church members, disincorporated the church and permitted the seizure of church property. Members of the church were sent to Canada and Mexico to keep their marriages intact. In September, 1890, Wilford Woodruff signed the Polygamist Manifesto, announcing the official discontinuance of the practice of polygamy.
Thomas married two of his wives, Chastie and Mary after polygamy was declared illegal. He married Mary eleven years after he was released from prison, so he married her 10 years after the manifesto was signed.
As we all know, he went to prison, but nowhere in family history could I find the dates. In One Hundred Years of Chamberlains, it discusses Hans being 6 months old when Thomas began his sentence. I began searching newspapers from late 1889 (Hans was born June 3, 1889) and couldn’t find anything. I decided to back up a year and search older newspapers. There I hit a jackpot. It turns out Hans was born 16 days after Thomas was released, not 6 months before he began his sentence.
One Hundred Years of Chamberlains tells the stories of the deputies finally catching up with Thomas:
At the time of the “Raid”, when the Mormons were being imprisoned for practicing polygamy, The U.S. Marshals or “Deps” as they were called usually came in black topped buggies. As father did not relish the thoughts of a six months term behind prison bars for committing no crime, merely living his religion the best he knew how, he spent some time trying to outwit the Deps and escape arrest. On the crest of the hill across the creek from the farm house was a large tree and rock which was known as “look out point.” This point commanded a good view of the road both up and down the valley. The small boys of the family were delegated as scouts from this point. Upon seeing a black topped buggy arriving they would shout to draw the attention of the men in the fields, then with a flag indicate from which direction the offenders were approaching. By the time the Deps arrived, the men would be busily engaged with their work, but Brother Chamberlain, Brother Covington and others they were seeking were not to be found.
The chase between the officers and the polygamists became more intense. Father would just get interested in a task and he would have to go and hide. Finally in desperation he said, “If they will only let me alone until I get my crops in and my plowing done, I’ll be glad to go and serve a six months term.”
One morning in the fall as he walked down a furrow behind the plow he saw a black topped buggy stop at the house. Thinking it was one of the apostles who had come to conference, he went right on with his plowing. As he turned at the bottom of the field he came face to face with a U.S. Deputy Marshal. They shook hands, the warrant of arrest was served, jokes were exchanged and they walked together to the house. The Marshal was given a good dinner and the best bed in the house.
On November 28, 1888, The Deseret News reported his arrest:

Although he was arrested in November, according to the Deseret News December 26, 1888, he did not begin serving his sentence until the day after Christmas, 1888, 5 days after the birth of his 27th child, Amanda.

Thomas could have served an additional 38 days (his entire sentence) and avoided paying a fine. However, after five months in prison, he was lonely for his family and chose to pay the $320.00 fine and return home according to the Deseret News May 25, 1889.

There is much more to Thomas’ life than his prison term which will be discussed in later postings.