Brigham
Young and Willard Richards rode on horseback up Turkey Creek to view the site
for the mill. They visited President
Young’s brothers, John, Phinehas, and Joseph.
John Young was still sick and the brethren administered to him.
Elder
Richards received fifty dollars from Albert P. Rockwood to distribute among the
needy battalion families. Wilford
Woodruff was sick in bed from exhaustion due to the hard work of the previous
days, cutting house logs.
Mary
Richards wrote in her letter to her missionary husband, Samuel W.
Richards: “The place where we have
settled for winter quarters is one of the most beautyfull flatts I ever
see. It is about one mile square. The East side borders on the Mo River and
most of the North & South. The West
side is bounded with a ridge or bluff, from the top of which it decends
graduley to the River. . . . The scene is quite Romantic.” Mary was camping about a quarter mile from
the meeting ground and about a half mile from Willard Richards’ camp.
A daughter,
Mary Minerva Snow was born to Erastus and Minerva Snow.1 Felina Clark, age nineteen months, died of
fever and “fits.” She was the daughter
of Lorenzo and Beulah Clark.
Chandler
Rogers died at the age of fifty-one. He
was the father of nine children, including battalion member, Samuel Hollister
Rogers. Chandler’s wife, Amanda Rogers
wrote: “The last day [he] went to sleep as usual, died about 8 o'clock in the
evening. We feel very lonesome.”
A son,
Samuel Clark, was born to Samuel and Rebecca Clark.2
Almon W.
Babbitt, one of the Nauvoo Trustees, arrived at Garden Grove on his way to
Winter Quarters. He told the Saints
about the Battle of Nauvoo and the surrender of the city to the mob.
Distressing
news arrived that the mob proclaimed no Mormon would be allowed to cross back
over the river to sell property. They
vowed that no Mormon in the camp would get a cent for the property left
behind. This news caused a great deal
of concern and some murmuring among the destitute Saints.
The
battalion started their march at daylight, traveled three miles, and stopped at
Stillbitter Creek to graze the animals on the grass. After four hours, they resumed their march and traveled another
twelve miles, camping in a valley just east of Point of Rocks.3
During
their travels, they passed within a half mile of some walls of an ancient
structure to the north. Two walls ran
parallel, about four feet apart for about one hundred thirty feet. They appeared to be constructed with
cement. Daniel Tyler wrote:
Whether
these had been partition walls of a castle or some large building, or a part of
a fortification, it would be difficult to determine. It was evident that the whole face of the country had undergone a
change. There were numerous canals or
channels where large streams had once run, probably for irrigating, but which
were then quite dry, and to all appearance had not been used for generations.
In the
evening, Lt. Smith cursed the sergeants and Quartermaster Samuel Gully for
neglecting their duties.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 402; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 3:90;
“Allen Stout Journal,” typescript, BYU, 26; Journal of Henry Standage in
Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 168; Yurtinus, A Ram in
the Thicket, 160; Tyler, A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion,
162; Ward, ed., Winter Quarters,
92; Our Pioneer Heritage,
3:167‑68
In the
morning, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Willard Richards went to see John
Pack, who had just returned from Savannah, Missouri. Brother Pack had brought back the carding machine purchased by
the Church and also brought back two newspapers. Peter G. Camden, of St. Louis, Missouri, published a sympathetic
appeal to the citizens of the city for the poor who had been driven from
Nauvoo. The newspapers announced that
food clothing and other articles were being collected for the sufferers. The stores of J.P. Eddy and Beebe Bros. were
advertised as locations accepting contributions.
At noon,
President Young, Willard Richards, and Albert P. Rockwood rode out to see the
brickyard. They also saw an excellent
bed of clay and stone in the river which could be used for wells.
In the
evening, a council meeting was held at Brother Rockwood’s tent. A report was read regarding the herding of
cattle. Amasa Lyman, Orson Pratt, and
Wilford Woodruff were appointed as a committee to divide the city into
wards. Bishops would be appointed over
each ward and would take care of the poor.
Benjamin L. Clapp was appointed to superintend the building of a house
to store the carding machine.
The High
Council met and discussed Brigham Young’s request that they send more men and
teams to help gather the poor from the banks of the Mississippi River. Even though the brethren in Council Bluffs
were already carrying the load for providing for the Mormon Battalion families,
they responded favorably to this request for additional service. James Murdock and Allen Taylor, with about
twenty‑five more teams, would lead this rescue effort. These teams would be in addition to those
led by Orville M. Allen, who left about two weeks earlier. Brother Allen’s rescue team would arrive in
the poor camp within a few days.
A son,
Joseph Lewis Ford, was born to William and Delana Ford.
Members of
the camp started to move away from the river to other locations nearby that
were believed to be healthier. Many
cranes were seen flying south.
Joseph
Heywood, one of the Nauvoo Trustees, wrote a letter to Brigham Young. He reported that he had gone to St. Louis to
solicit aid for the destitute Saints, “whose situation is truly deplorable
scattered along the bank of the river opposite to Nauvoo.” He reported that he had been somewhat
successful in finding aid. Also, he
found a man who might be interested in buying the temple. He hoped that they could finish up the work
in Nauvoo soon, because it was “like the abomination of desolation.” The mob had searched his home in Nauvoo
while he was away, but they did not find his most valuable arms.
While the
battalion halted its march for breakfast at spring near Point of Rocks, Levi
Hancock and others climbed the highest peak.
Brother Hancock built an altar and offered prayers. He also broke off some branches from the
highest cedar tree which he gave to his friends. The rest of the battalion marched on for two miles to water the
animals.
In the
afternoon, the battalion met a company of dragoons coming from Santa Fe. They reported that General Kearny left for
California on September 25 and said that the Mormon Battalion would have to be
discharged if it did not reach Santa Fe by October 10. As a result, the battalion marched long and
hard for a total of twenty‑seven miles to Red River.
A problem
arose when a number of men were reported by their Mormon officers and put under
guard for falling behind the line of march and for other violations. John D. Lee defended the soldiers and argued
that no officer in the Battalion could court martial another legally. He still contended that Lt. Smith did not
have legal command of the battalion.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 403, 432; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier,
The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 203; Yurtinus, A Ram in the
Thicket, 161; “The Journal of Robert S. Bliss,” The Utah Historical
Quarterly, 4:73‑4; Bennett, Mormons at the Missouri, 1846‑1852,
82‑4; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp
Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints
John Hill
and Asahel Lathrop arrived from their camp about seventy miles up the Missouri
River. They, along with seven other
families had left George Miller’s company at Ponca, who were still about 150
miles up the river. They had become
discontented with Bishop Miller’s leadership and moved further south to find
better feed for their cattle. During
the last six days of their journey to Winter Quarters, Brothers Hill and
Lathrop lived on two squirrels, one goose and a turtle.
The
lowlands near the river were full of men and teams cutting cottonwood trees for
house logs. Hosea Stout traveled six
miles up the river where the camp’s herd was being kept. On Saturdays, the men would gather the
entire herd scattered over several miles.
This made it much easier for the owners to find their cattle. Otherwise it might take a week to search for
specific cattle.
A son,
John Helaman Pixton, was born to Robert and Elizabeth Cooper Pixton.4
After
traveling for about six miles in the morning to Ocate Creek,5 Lt. Smith called for a
temporary halt and invited all the battalion officers to his tent. Lt. Smith emphasized the importance of
arriving at Santa Fe within a week. He
proposed that fifty strong men from each company make a quick, forced march to
Santa Fe. The sick, lame, women, and
children would be left behind under the command of Lt. George Oman. Most of the officers agreed to this
proposal.
The
recognized religious leaders of the battalion, Levi Hancock, David Pettigrew,
and John D. Lee strongly opposed this proposed division. Many of the enlisted men were about ready to
revolt when they heard of this decision.
But Captain Jefferson Hunt said to his men that he thought “this to be
the best move that could be made.”
Private George W. Taggart expressed his feelings, “I did not feel like
volunteering to go on and leave the sick behind, consequently I did not go with
the first division.” Robert Bliss
wrote, “I fear treachery.”
So the
battalion became divided and the advance group traveled on for another eighteen
miles and camped on Wagon Creek near a high rock. Some of the Missouri Volunteers were camped there. A few Mexicans and Indians entered the camp
in an attempt to sell whiskey and other items.
It is
interesting to note, but not surprising, that Dr. Sanderson chose to go ahead
with the healthy men rather then staying behind to care for the sick. Daniel Tyler wrote: “But the sick did not complain on that
score. The sorrow which they felt at
the loss of friends through having the Battalion divided was in a great measure
compensated by the relief they experienced at being rid of the Doctor’s drugs
and cursing for a few days.” There
would be a noticeable improvement in the health of those who stopped taking the
drugs.
Elders
Orson Hyde and John Taylor arrived in Liverpool, England. They had experienced some severe gales at
sea and witnessed the wrecking of three vessels in the middle of the ocean. Their ship had saved half of the passengers
from one of the other ships.
Elders
Hyde and Taylor immediately issued a circular to the Saints. They stated that they had been sent by the
Council of the Twelve to “set in order” every department of the Church, in
England. They advised the Saints to no
longer patronize the Joint Stock Company which had been misused by the brethren
who had been left in charge of the British Mission. It was made clear that the Stock Company was independent from the
Church. A conference was appointed to
be held at Manchester, England, on October 17, where more instructions would be
given.
Reuben
Hedlock, who had been left in charge of the British mission, had fled to
London. Elder Taylor later wrote of
this man:
Elder
Hedlock might have occupied a high and exalted situation in the Church, both in
time and eternity; but he has cast from his head the crown ‑‑ he
has dashed from him the cup of mercy, and has bartered the hope of eternal life
with crowns, principalities, powers, thrones and dominions, for the
gratification of his own sensual appetite; to feed on husks and straw‑‑to
wallow in filth and mire!
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 403, 493, 597; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 203; Journal of Henry
Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 169; “William
Coray’s Journal”; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 161; “The Journal of
Robert S. Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74; Tyler, A
Concise History of the Mormon Battalion, 163; Roberts, The Life of John
Taylor, 178
A Sunday
meeting was held at the stand in Winter Quarters. Elder Orson Pratt preached on the first principles of the gospel
to the congregation consisting several nonmembers. Letters were read including some from the Mormon Battalion.
After the
morning session, Elders Orson Pratt, Amasa Lyman, and Wilford Woodruff divided
Winter Quarters into thirteen wards.
Bishops were appointed over each ward.
They ordained six of the bishops at that time.
In the
afternoon, the Saints again assembled to hear President Brigham Young
speak. He mentioned that John Hill and
Asahel Lathrop arrived from their camp about seventy miles up the Missouri
River. They had broken off with Bishop
Miller’s camp because of “oppression and disorder.” President Young said he intended to send his cattle up to Brother
Hill and Lathrop’s camp for the winter.
He advised that some families be sent up there to winter their cattle at
that location.
President
Young discouraged participating in the practice of paying visiting peddlers
inflated prices for goods. He proposed
that a committee be appointed to purchase goods collectively from the
merchants. If the prices were still too
high, they would not buy their goods.
Volunteers were asked for to help build a bridge. Brethren were given the opportunity to
advertise for help to find their lost animals or property.
In the
evening, a council meeting was held.
Elder Willard Richards reported on the plot of Winter Quarters which had
been drawn by Elder Orson Pratt.
Halmagh
Van Wagoner, age fifty-nine, died. He
was the husband of Mary Ann Van Houten Van Wagoner.
It was
rumored that the mob had removed the angel weather vane and the ball from the
top of the temple.6 Thomas Bullock wrote: “At night I took a walk thro the Camp for
the first time and counted 17 tents and 8 Wagons remaining, and most of those
are the poorest of the Saints. [There
is] not a tent or Wagon but [has] sickness in it, and nearly all don’t know
which way they shall get to the main camp.”
The
advance companies of the battalion traveled about twenty‑four miles and
arrived at Wolf Creek.7 They found good water and grass at this
location. Lt. Smith restored full
rations to this advance group of troops.
Some Mexicans came into the camp to sell cakes and bread.
Abner
Blackburn wrote of an event that probably occurred at this time.
Camped one
afternoon about three oclock. Presently
there rode up several Spainiards.
Amongst them was a Spanish Hidalgo and his daughter with their rich
caprisoned horses and their jingeling uniform.
The [Senorita] lit off her horse like a nightengale. The whole camp was there in a minute. Their gaudy dress and drapery attracted all
eyes. The dress of the [Senorita] is
hard to describe, all the colors of the rainbow with ribbons and jewelry to
match. . . . We gave them presents and made them welcome to our camp and also
to martial music as a greeting. The
damsel was struck with our drummer boy, Jesse Earle, and his violin. He played “The Girl I Left Behind Me.” She could not contain herself and with her
companaros started a dance and made the dance fit the tune. . . . She took a
fancy to our drummer boy. The
attachment was mutual; but his admiration cooled off somewhat when she
appropriated his handkerchief and pocket‑knife.
The rear
companies of the battalion traveled about eighteen miles and camped at Wagon
Mound in a beautiful valley they called the Valley of Hope. Good grass was found for the teams.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 404‑05 Wilford Woodruff’s Journal,
3:91; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861,
203; Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
169; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 165, 173; “The Journal of Robert S.
Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74 “Norton Jacob
Autobiography,” BYU, 42‑43; Bagley. Frontiersman, Abner Blackburn’s
Narrative, 41‑2; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints
Brigham
Young visited the sick and finished his well that was thirty‑two feet
deep. The High Council met and
appointed a committee to purchase sheep.
Wilford
Woodruff left Winter Quarters in the morning in his carriage to take four or
five sisters on a “graping expedition.”
They crossed over the river on the ferry and traveled to Council Point. On the way, Elder Woodruff shot three
prairie chickens and they arrived at the grape fields at dark. Elder Woodruff built a fire and fetched
water from the Missouri River. The
women made their beds in and under the wagon.
Elder Woodruff tried to sleep under the stars, but the moon was shining
bright, keeping him awake. At midnight
he went to the river for several hours to hunt.
A
daughter, Susan Burgess, was born to Horace and Iona Burgess.
A son,
William Thomas Ewell, was born to William and Mary Ewell.8
The Saint
Louis Weekly Reveille reported that Joseph L. Heywood, one of the Nauvoo
Trustees, was in the city asking for provisions to help the poor who had been
driven from Nauvoo.9 “We know their wretched state, not from
report, but from eye witness, of misery which is without a parallel in the
country. They are literally starving
under the open heavens; not even a tent to cover them‑‑women and
children, widows and orphans, the bed‑ridden, the age‑stricken and
the toil worn.” The article asked for
clothing and money to be donated to help the Saints.
A very
pleasant day cheered up the sick and hungry Saints. Thomas Bullock wrote, “A very fine day, the woods all alive with
the sweet music of birds which makes me feel delightful even in my exiled
state.”
An issue
of the Hancock Eagle was published by the non‑Mormon new citizens
of Nauvoo. It reported that the anti‑Mormons
were in violation of the treaty because they had in effect stolen the guns from
the Mormons. “It is no exaggeration to
say that nineteen‑twentieths of the arms delivered have been
confiscated.”
The Nauvoo
Temple had sustained much damage from the mob.
“Holes have been cut through the floors, the stone oxen in the basement
have been considerably disfigured, horns and ears dislodged, and nearly all
torn loose from their standing.” Names
had been carved in the woodwork of the large assembly room on the main floor.
The
advance companies of the battalion traveled about thirty miles, and camped near
a Mexican town called Las Vegas. The
town was relatively large with a population of about five hundred people. Samuel Hollister Rogers wrote: “The houses are rudly built chiefly of
adobies, a kind of large sun‑dried brick, one storey high with a flat
roof made by laying line poles across with brush and covering with mortar. Only saw one window in the whole town. When we passed through the men, women and
children came into the street to see us.
Some climbed upon the roofs of the houses.”
Abner
Blackburn wrote that the inhabitants of the town were “a most miserable set of
poor, half clothed wretches, covered with vermin, who cared for nothing except
a few meals and a Fandango to kill time.
The rich were very rich and the poor very poor and worthless.” Their fields were near the river
bottoms. Irrigation was used to water
the crops of wheat, squaw corn, onions, red peppers and squash.
The rear
companies broke camp at noon and traveled twenty‑five miles until
midnight when they reached the Noro River.
They camped near a small Mexican settlement.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 405‑07; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal,
3:91; Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
169; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 165‑66, 173; “The Journal of
Robert S. Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74 Our Pioneer
Heritage, 20:181; Bagley, Frontiersman, Abner Blackburn’s Narrative,
42 “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the
Saints
Work
commenced on a dam for the Winter Quarters flouring mill. Almon W. Babbitt, one of the Nauvoo
Trustees, arrived at Winter Quarters with forty‑four letters and one
hundred newspapers. He reported that
the mob had taken over Nauvoo, had most of the brethren’s guns, and had defaced
the temple. Many of the poor families
had gone on to St. Louis, Missouri.
Helen Mar
Whitney wrote of Brother Babbitt’s news of mob activities, “They had several
mock ceremonies with different individuals, and had baptized or dipped Moses
Davis three times. . . . The shore of the city and nearly all the approaches to
the city, were strickly guarded, to prevent the ingress of Mormons, and when
any man was found they immediately baptized him and sent him over into
Iowa.”
A letter
was received from Bishop Newel K. Whitney who had visited the poor camp near
Montrose, Iowa, on his way to St. Louis.
(See September 20, 1846.)
He reported the destitute condition of the Saints and that about fifty
wagons would be needed to help bring the poor further to the west.
Lorenzo
Dow Young went up the river twelve miles with six others to pick grapes. They made their camp as comfortable as
possible. He wrote, “We had a little
music from the wolves, to remind us we were not alone.”
A
daughter, Charlotte J. Cole, was born to John and Charlotte Cole.10
Ashabell Dewey, age fifty-one, died of canker. He was the husband of Harriet Dewey. Ann Wadsworth, age thirty-six, died of canker and fever.
Wilford
Woodruff ate a breakfast of prairie chicken stew on the east side of the river
while on a graping expedition. He
recorded: “Found the grapes on
Cottonwoods & willows. I cut down
several hundred of them during the day the size of my arm & leg. And we all laboured hard untill sun set
picking grapes. We picked over three
Barrels of Bunch grapes & started for home by moon light. We returned as far as the ferry but could
not cross and had to camp for the night.”
Alonzo
Merrill, the eldest son of Albert Merrill died. The Merrill family were among those who experienced severe
hardship. Brother Merrill wrote:
My wife
continued to grow worse and her milk dried up.
Her young babe was without mother’s food and all the other children came
down with chills and fever. We could
not get help. The other people there
were many of them sick. One George
Bratton drove a yoke of my oxen from the range and took them up to the Bluffs
80 miles from our place. My horse that
my wife and children drove in a light wagon fell into a ravine and died in
sight of our place as I was not able to care for my stock.
A
daughter, Martha Zabriskie Doremus, was born to Henry and Harriet Doremus.
Elder
Jesse C. Little wrote a letter to Brigham Young reporting that he had just met
with President James K. Polk and found that the president had good feelings
toward the Saints. He asked the
president to appoint Jefferson Hunt or Sheriff Jacob Backenstos to lead the
Mormon Battalion, but the president said he did not have the power to appoint,
that the battalion would have to choose.
Elder
Little also visited with the Indian Commissioner and requested permission for
the Saints to remain on Indian lands for some time. Everything looked fine.
Elder Little earlier called upon Judge Kane and he offered his support
to help with anything in Washington on behalf of the Saints. “He wished me to say when I wrote to our
people that his son had expressed his highest regard for your great kindness
during his sickness of which he said much.”
His son, Thomas L. Kane had traveled to Washington, reported on the
barbarous treatment in Nauvoo, and worked to help the Saints receive permission
to stay on Indian lands.
The
battalion passed through the town of Las Vegas, marching to music in good
order. After about twelve more miles
they also marched through the town of Tecolotte. They made their camp on a farm near Burnetts Springs, five miles
from the town.11 While marching, they met a Mr. Simington who
was sent from Santa Fe by order of General Stephen Kearny. The message confirmed the order that the
battalion should arrive at Santa Fe by the 10th to received further
instructions from General Alexander Doniphan.
The rear
companies of the battalion rested this day.
From the top of a large rock near their camp, the soldiers were able to
see Lt. Smith’s division marching in the distance.
A son,
Ephriam Burdick, was born to Thomas and Anna Burdick.12
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 407‑08, 433; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal,
3:91; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah Historical Quarterly, 14:148 Woman’s
Exponent, 13:131; “Albert Merrill, autobiography,” typescript, BYU, 4;
Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
169; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 166‑67, 174; “The Journal of
Robert S. Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74
Brigham
Young and other members of the Twelve traveled several miles to the north, to
the location where the herds were being tended. President Young wanted all those who were not herding regularly
to leave the herd grounds. He made
arrangements for the herdsmen to receive better clothes to perform their
duties. On the way back to Winter
Quarters, the brethren inspected the progress at the mill site.
Wilford
Woodruff returned to Winter Quarters and started to work at juicing the grapes
which had been gathered on his expedition.
They were able to obtain about twenty gallons of juice. Lorenzo Dow Young also returned from some
grape fields. As they left the fields,
he had difficulty finding his wagons because the willows and cottonwoods were
so thick. After quite some time, he
found them, and was on his way back to Winter Quarters. When he returned, he found his wife, Susan
Ashby Young, weeping. She had recently
received news of her father’s death from Brother Almon Babbitt. Brother Young did all that he could do to
comfort his dear wife. Her father,
Nathaniel Ashby had died near Bonaparte, Iowa, on September 23.
In the
evening, Brother Asahel Dewey was buried.
Several of the Twelve met at the post office to meet with Almon
Babbitt. Brother Babbitt was counseled
to return to Nauvoo, sell the Church property without delay, and to also sell
the property at Kirtland, Ohio. The
brethren discussed a rumor that Reuben Hedlock, who had been left in charge of
the British Mission over the Winter, had taken $7,000 dollars credit from the
Church and fled to unknown parts.
Willard
Richards called on his daughter‑in‑law, Mary Richards, and asked
her to go take care of Sister Eliza Ann Peirson, who was very sick.
A son,
Silas William Holman, was born to James and Naomi Holman.13
Orville M.
Allen, captain of the first rescue teams to help the poor, arrived at the camp
on the Mississippi River, across from Nauvoo.
He called the Saints together and informed them that he had been sent by
the Twelve to help. He told them, “I
was sent to bring as many as I can, and I will do it, and get them to Council
Bluff. . . . I’ll get you thro’ as quick as I can.”
Brother
Allen shared news from the pioneer camps.
He asked the camp to exert themselves to yoke up available teams and
prepare to leave. Forty‑ two of
the 350‑400 people immediately volunteered to go with twenty wagons,
seventeen oxen, four horses, and forty‑one cows. Sister Mary Fielding Smith, the widow of
Hyrum Smith, and her sister, also a widow of Hyrum, Mercy Fielding Thompson,
donated eighteen dollars for the company’s benefit. Even though these devoted sisters suffered from lack of food and
shelter, they stepped forward to help those even less fortunate than
themselves. Mary’s seven‑year‑old
son, Joseph F. Smith, later the sixth president of the Church, was with his
mother in this destitute camp.
The
vanguard battalion companies passed through the town of San Miguel, a large
Mexican town of about 150 homes.14 They observed a large two‑story Roman
Catholic Cathedral. While in the town,
many of the soldiers traded goods with the Mexicans. Daniel Tyler wrote that they were amused at watching the process
of milking goats. “It was generally
done by boys, who sat at the rear of animals, and the milk pail caught frequent
droppings . . . which were carefully skimmed out with the fingers. Possibly, this may in some degree account
for the extreme richness of the goat’s milk cheese.”
As they
marched on, they passed through mountains and saw some snow. They made their camp on the Pecos River near
the present‑day town of South San Ysidro. The rear companies arrived at Las Vegas, where they saw fine
gardens along with 3000 sheep, 200 goats, and numerous cattle.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 408‑09; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal,
3:92; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah
Historical Quarterly, 14:149; Ward, ed., Winter Quarters, 96;
Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
170; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 167‑68; “The Journal of
Robert S. Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74; Tyler, A Concise
History of the Mormon Battalion, 164; Brown, Life of a Pioneer, 39;
“Orval M. Allen Diary,” LDS Archives; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal,”
Bagley (ed.), Pioneer Camp of the Saints
In the
morning, Brigham Young and other members of the Twelve met with Almon W.
Babbitt and discussed the affairs at Nauvoo and California. Wilford Woodruff and Orson Pratt went out
into the streets of Winter Quarters and ordained three of the men called to
serve as bishops in the settlement. The
city was taking shape. With the help of
several men, Lorenzo Dow Young, raised the walls of his house.
In the
evening the brethren heard letters read, including a thirteen‑page letter
from Elder John Taylor, written from New York to his wife before he sailed for
England. They also read a circular
written by Elder Taylor while still in the States which condemned Strangism, and
a letter written in May by passengers from the ship Brooklyn while on
the Island of Juan Fernandez. This was
the first news received of the voyage.
A son,
William Heber Pitt, was born to William and Cornelia Pitt.15
Maryanne Bruce, age thirty-six, died.
A son,
Hyrum Rich, was born to Charles C. and Sarah Rich.
A son,
Thomas Miller, was born to John and Janet Miller.16
The
battalion marched eighteen miles up the valley of Pecos until they came to the
Abbey of Pecos which was built about 250 years earlier. Henry Standage wrote, “The walls are in a
ruined state, still some of the rooms are in good repair.” Some of the buildings in the town were about
thirty feet high and contained many rooms with curious carvings. They rested at a spring nearby that “gushed”
out of the north bank of Pecos Creek, around which was silver ore. They proceeded two more miles west of the
ruins and camped for the night.
The
officers received news that General Kearny had instructed Captain Philip St.
George Cooke to take over command of the Mormon Battalion at Santa Fe. John D. Lee wrote: “This information struck Lieut Smith and Adj Dykes as well as
many others of the officers almost speechless as they had been anticipating
something very different.”
The rear
companies of the battalion left Las Vegas, traveled about twenty‑one
difficult miles, and camped about a half mile from the present‑day town
of Blanchard, New Mexico. The soldiers
complained that Lt. Oman was “unfeeling” for driving this weaker detachment so
hard.
Brother
Tarleton Lewis received permission to cross back over the river to Nauvoo in
order to obtain a yoke of cattle for his journey to the west.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 409‑10 Wilford Woodruff’s Journal,
3:92; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah Historical Quarterly, 14:149;
Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
170; Jaunita Brooks, Diary of the Mormon Battalion Mission, 296‑98
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 168‑69, 174; “The Journal of
Robert S. Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74
Almon W.
Babbitt left Winter Quarters and started back for Nauvoo with a package of
letters for many of the Saints spread across Iowa. Hosea Stout went out to search for his mare. He traveled over hills and through valleys
but could not find it. He did find a
grove in a prairie that was full of walnuts.
Eliza Hall
Cook was born to Phineas and Ann Cook.
Her sister Harriet later recorded:
“On the 9th day of October another little daughter was born to them
while in a tent and during a heavy rainstorm.
They had to hold umbrellas over Mother’s bed to keep her dry. She was very sick and came so near dying,
her baby had to be taken from her and weaned at the age of three months, and
for the want of proper food and nourishment it died May 12, 1847.” Patty Sessions helped with the delivery of
this baby. She wrote: “I put Sister
Cook to bed with a daughter. Went horseback five miles.” Later, Sister Sessions baked some pies with Sister Kimball.
Patty C.
Hakes, age seventeen, died of chills and fever. She was the daughter of Weeden V. and Eliza A. Hakes. Lehi M. Vance, age twenty-seven days, died
of fever. He was the son of John and
Elizabeth Vance. Hannah Jones, wife of
Alonzo Jones, died.
As the rescue
team was organizing the starving Saints on the banks of the Mississippi River,
a wonderful miracle was experienced.
Thousands of quail descended on the camp which was an event similar to
that experienced by ancient Israel in the wilderness recorded in Exodus 16:13.
Henry
Buckwalter wrote: “So tame were they
that one could pick them right up alive.
And I assure you that they were greatly appreciated by one and all as
what few effects of this world’s goods they were in possession of were mostly
left behind in their bustle to get away from Nauvoo.”
Joseph
Fielding recorded: “They came in vast
flocks. Many came into the houses where
the Saints were, settled on the tables, and the floor and even on their laps,
so that they caught as many as they pleased.
Thus the Lord was mindful of his people.”
Mary Field
added, “They were so tame we could catch them with our hands. Some of the men made wire traps so they
could catch several at a time. We did
not have any bread and butter or any other food to eat, so we ate stewed quail
and were very thankful to get that, for we were starving although we were in a
land of plenty, because our enemies were in possession of our food.”
This
phenomenon was said to have extended some thirty or forty miles along the
river. Some later believed that the
birds became so exhausted from a long flight that they landed on boats in the
river and all along the banks.
Thomas
Bullock left this graphic account:
On the 9th
of October, several wagons with oxen having been sent by the Twelve to fetch
the poor Saints away, were drawn out in a line on the river banks, ready to
start. But hark! What noise is that?
See! The quails descend; they alight close by our little camp of twelve wagons,
run past each wagon tongue, when they arise, fly round the camp three times,
descend, and again run the gauntlet past each wagon. See the sick knock them down with sticks, and the little children
catch them alive with their hands. Some
are cooked for breakfast, while my family were seated on the wagon tongues and
ground, having a wash tub for a table.
Behold, they come again! One descends upon our teaboard, in the midst of
our cups, while we were actually round the table eating our breakfast, which a
little boy about eight years old catches alive with his hands; they rise again,
the flocks increase in number, seldom going seven rods from our camp,
continually flying around the camp, sometimes under the wagons, sometimes over,
and even into the wagons, where the poor sick Saints are lying in bed; thus
having a direct manifestation from the Most High, that although we are driven
by men, He has not forsaken us, but that His eyes are continually over us for
good.
At noon,
having caught alive about 50 and killed some 50 more, the captain [Orville M.
Allen] gave orders not to kill any more, as it was a direct manifestation and
visitation from the Lord. In the
afternoon hundreds were flying at a time.
When our camp started at 3 p.m. there could not have been less than 500
(some say there were 1500) flying around the camp. Thus I am a witness to this visitation. Some Gentiles who were in the camp marvelled greatly; even some
passengers on a steamboat going down the river looked with astonishment.
The
Council of the Twelve several months later wrote about this event to the
missionaries in England:
Tell ye
this to the nations of the Earth! Tell it to the Kings and nobles and the great
ones ‑‑ tell ye this to those who believe that God who fed the
Children of Israel in the wilderness in the days of Moses, that they may know
there is a God in the last days, and that his people are as dear to him now as
they were in those days, and that he will feed them when the house of the
oppressor is unbearable, and he is acknowledged God of the whole Earth and
every knee bows and every tongue confesses, that Jesus is the Christ.
During the
morning, a message had been sent over the river to the Nauvoo Trustees telling
them that Captain Allen was about to leave with a company of the poor. In the afternoon, provisions were brought to
the camp from the Trustees. Items such
as clothing, shoes, molasses, salt, and pork were distributed throughout the
camp. Afterwards, Orville M. Allen
started west toward Winter Quarters with a company of 157 Saints in 28 wagons.17
Thomas
Bullock wrote:
Captain
Allen called out my Wagon to take up the line of March for the West, when I
left the banks of the Mississippi, my property, Nauvoo and the Mob for ever,
and started merrily over a level prairie, amid the songs of Quails and Black
Birds, the Sun shining smilingly upon us, the cattle lowing, pleased at getting
their liberty. The Scene was
delightful, the prairie surrounded on all sides by timber. All things conspired for us to praise the
Lord.
The
company traveled three miles and then camped for the night.
The
battalion achieved one of its important goals ‑‑ the first division
arrived in Santa Fe. In less than two
months, the Mormon Battalion had marched all the way from Fort Leavenworth, a
distance of nearly eight hundred miles.
As they
approached, General Alexander Doniphan, longtime friend of the Mormons and
commander of the post, ordered a salute of one hundred guns to be fired from
the roofs of the adobe houses in honor of the battalion. They marched in, during a storm of rain and
hail, with fixed bayonets and drawn swords to the public square. After an inspection, they made their camp,
east of the Santa Fe Cathedral.
Altogether there were about sixteen hundred men stationed in Santa Fe at
that time. Historian John Yurtinus mentioned
that one of the men from another unit wrote about the battalion: “They are well drilled, a shabby‑looking
set.”
Still on
the road toward Santa Fe, when Lieutenant Oman gave orders for the second
division of the battalion to strike their tents and march, Lieutenant Elam
Luddington of Company B refused. He had
broken his wagon the night before and wanted to repair it. Oman wanted to turn over the command of
Company B to Sergeant Hyde, but Hyde insisted on honoring Lt. Luddington’s
request to keep the company together with him.
Thus, the battalion again was divided, with a company led by Lt. Oman
and another led by Lt. Luddington. The
second division, led by Lt. Oman, traveled through the town of San Miguel and
camped after a twenty-mile march. Their
camp was located near present‑day Rowle, New Mexico.
John Steel
wrote:
We soon
went on through the great forest of cedar wood and came to San Miguel where
ladies were on top of the house, and when they saw that I had women in my wagon
they hastened down and sent their old father to invite us in. Then when the women got out of the wagon
there was such a hugging as I had never seen before, as that was their manner
of saluting. We did not stay there long
as I discovered skulking around the corrals a great number of men, and as my
team was the last and I was alone, I must hasten on. It was well I did as I was told they were planning to steal my
little girl Mary.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 410‑11, 497; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 204; Bennett, Mormons at the Missouri, 1846‑1852,
84; “Henry Buckwalter, autobiography,” typescript, BYU, 3‑4; Joseph
Fielding Diary in “Nauvoo Journal,” BYU Studies 19, 165‑166; Mary
Field Garner, Our Pioneer Heritage, 7:407; Roberts, Comprehensive
History of the Church, 3:136; Our Pioneer Heritage, 1:506, 8:236,
19:355; Nibley, Exodus to Greatness, 252‑53; Journal of Elijah
Elmer, quoted in Gibson, Journal of a Soldier, 250‑51; Journal of
Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 170‑71;
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 169, 175; “The Journal of Robert S.
Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp
Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints; Patty Sessions
diary in Our Pioneer Heritage, 2:62
Brigham
Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Willard Richards went to administer to Eliza Ann
Peirson, who was very sick.
Most of
the brethren in the Camp of Israel went to the herd grounds where they all
worked to gather the cattle together in preparation to sending them north for
the winter. Many were still missing.
Hosea
Stout received an order from Stephen Markham to appoint men each night to stand
guard over Winter Quarters. Eight men
would be needed to fill two five‑hour shifts during which they would
guard the city against fire, accident, and from those who might try to cause
harm on the city. Brother Stout tried
in vain during the day to raise a guard for the night but so many men were away
at the herd grounds.
Jacob
Gates, James Case, and others arrived at Cutler’s Park from the Pawnee village.
Mary
Richards continued to write a letter to her missionary husband, Samuel W.
Richards, in England. She had recently
read a letter he had written to a friend and she was feeling very lonely. She wrote:
It gave me
much comfort to hear from you although I often wonder why it is that I cannot
have a letter from you as well as others.
I am sure if you thought half as much about me as I do about you, or
felt half so lonely, you could not forbear writing so long. I would just as soon you had wrote 6 letters
before you sailed, as to have waited till the last day, it would not have hurt
my feelings the least mite. But perhaps
I am finding fault without cause, you may have wrote to me. If so I ask your forgiveness and will try to
wait patiantly for the proof of your rememberance.
Thomas
Bullock wrote: “About 10 we started, on
a cold, dull morning, up a very steep hill, thro’ a Wood, which proved a
regular teazer to a many teams. The
trees begins to cast their leaves and begins to show like autumn. On the road I picked up a nice dish of
mushrooms which was sufficient for our dinner.” The company camped on the east side of Sugar Creek after
traveling about thirteen miles. In the
evening a loud crash was heard as a tree fell in the camp. Luckily, no one was hurt.
During the
day, four companies of Colonel Stearling Price’s Missouri Cavalry arrived at
Santa Fe. The battalion took great
pride in knowing that they had arrived a day before the Missouri Volunteers
even though these men had a two-day head‑start from Fort
Leavenworth. The Missouri Volunteers
were not greeted with a gun salute as had been given to the Mormon Battalion
which did not sit well with Colonel Price.
Many of
the soldiers in the battalion were able to go out into the city and become
acquainted with the customs of the people.
The town of Santa Fe was situated in a valley nearly surrounded
completely by mountains. The houses were
generally flat‑roofed adobes and the streets were crooked and
narrow. Many felt that the whole city
looked very much like an extensive brick‑yard. A large American flag made of silk flew gracefully near the fort
which was under construction. The Mexican
inhabitants had many flocks of goats and cattle.
John D.
Lee observed, “A stranger at the first glance would conclude that there was not
a room in the whole city that was fit for a white man to live in but to the
contrary, some of their rooms are well furnished inside ‑‑ floors
excepted.”
The town
was full of activity. The men found
goods that were priced very cheap. All
over town, women and girls were selling pine nuts, apples, peaches, pears,
grapes, bread, onions, boiled corn, and melons. Brother Lee was impressed to watch a team of four small burros
who were fastened together, carrying a load of wood on their backs. They were driven without bridles or lines.
The men
were very interested in watching the Mexicans.
James S. Brown recorded:
Their costume,
manners, habits, and in fact everything, were both strange and novel to us, and
of course were quite an attraction.
Many of the people looked on us with suspicion, and if it had been in
their power no doubt they would have given us a warm reception; others appeared
to be pleased, doubtless because it made trade better for them, and on that
account they seemed very friendly. They
brought into camp, for sale, many articles of food; the strongest of these red
pepper pies, the pepper‑pods as large as a teacup, and onions (savoyas)
as large as saucers, to be eaten raw like turnips.
The men
also enjoyed penuche (fudge candy) and torillas with Chile Colorado (beef in
hot sauce). Some men were very daring
in trying out new Mexican cuisine.
Abner Blackburn wrote:
On the end
of a board was something which looked good to eat. One of our crowd began to eat it, who soon found it to be stringy. The Mexican woman looked wild at him and
putting her hands to her stomach exclaimed; “Corambo Americano!” The fellow
tried to throw it up and caught hold of the end and pulled it out like a snake. We supposed it to be some kind of rat poison
as there was plenty of rats around. We
were a little careful about eating their ammunition afterwards.
There was
much gambling activity going on.
Several soldiers went on a gambling spree and were put in the guard
house. Some of the Missouri volunteers
were determined to release their fellow soldiers and broke down the guard house
in a struggle. One of the guards fired
and killed two of the volunteers.
John D.
Lee urged Captains Jefferson Hunt and Jesse Hunter to visit to paymaster. Brother Lee had been sent from Winter
Quarters to retrieve the battalion pay.
Paymaster Jeremiah Cloud agreed to pay the soldiers for one and one half
months’ service when the second division of the battalion arrived in Santa Fe.
The second
division continued their march toward Santa Fe. They marched to the Pecos Ruins where they rested and then
continued on for about two more miles.
They camped in mountains covered with pine trees and evergreens. The sick continued to openly condemn Lt.
Oman for the pace of the forced march.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 411; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 3:92;
Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861,
204; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the
Saints; Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon
Battalion, 175‑76; “Thomas Dunn Journal,” typescript, 8; Juanita
Brooks, John Doyle Lee, 101; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 170‑71,
176; “The Journal of Robert S. Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly,
4:74 Brown, Life of a Pioneer, 39; Bagley, Frontiersman: Abner
Blackburn’s Narrative, 43; Nibley, Exodus to Greatness, 253; Ward,
ed., Winter Quarters, 96
Rain
started to fall heavily at about 10 a.m. and continued into the afternoon. During that time, about two thousand cattle
from “the big herd” arrived into Winter Quarters and almost filled the entire
town. Those driving the herd were not
able to keep them on the prairie.
Wilford Woodruff described: “And
while the rain poured down in torents, I with many others had to go into the
midst of the herd & separate my cattle.
I was quite unwell with the auge but got thoroughly drenched with
water. I laboured hard in the rain
through the day.”
John
Cummings, age four, died of chills and fever.
He was the son of George and Jane Cummings. A son, Samuel B. Flake, was born to James and Agnes Love Flake.
Thomas
Bullock wrote: “We started again having a beautiful Sky over our head [and] a
delightful breeze from the West in our teeth, over a very level prairie.” They traveled on a windy road, full of
stumps, and soon arrived at the banks of the Des Moines River. They crossed the river in pouring rain. It was impossible to light a fire that
evening. At Bonaparte, a daughter,
Emily Wilson, was born to Bradley B. and Agnes Hunter Wilson.18
The
battalion members went out into the city of Santa Fe. Many of the men attended a Mass at the Catholic Church which was
a curious ceremony to them. They
marvelled at the many pictures and images that were hanging inside the
church. Violins, triangles, drums, and
other instruments were used to play beautiful religious music. Sergeant William Coray commented about the
daily Masses, “I dare say there is enough holy water administered in Santa Fe
every morning to swim an elephant.”
An express
arrived with a message from General Kearny for the Mormon Battalion. The General gave official orders that
Captain Cooke was to take over command of the battalion. He should fit the battalion with sixty days
of rations and follow General Kearny’s trail to the Pacific where they would
wait for further orders. The battalion
would then probably be taken by ship to the Bay of Monterey. Captain Cooke invited the Mormon officers of
the Battalion to meet with him. He
proposed that the sick, women and children in the battalion be sent to Pueblo
for the winter. In the spring they
would be taken, at the expense of the government, to the west where they would
rejoin their families. The officers
agreed with this proposal.
A
battalion member, Philemon C. Merrill wrote a letter to his wife. “It is hard times. I tell you, some times I think that I never can stand it on my
part. I could stand any thing on my
part, but to see my brethren suffer as they do is hard. It pains my heart to behold it.”
The second
division of the battalion marched eighteen miles through Apache Pass and camped
seven miles beyond Gold Dust Springs.
The third division started their march at 4 a.m. and ate their breakfast
at the Pecos Ruins. Robert S. Bliss
wrote, “The temple was a great curiosity.
No one knows when it was built.
It was in ruins 200 years ago & it has every appearance of an Old
Nephite City. The rooms, doors,
carvings, painting & hireoglifics were a great curiosity, the bones of
their dead also.”
Elder
Addison Pratt preached a farewell discourse on Temarie, administered the
sacrament, and baptized six people. In
the evening, he performed a marriage.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 411; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 3:93;
Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861,
204; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the
Saints; Ellsworth, The Journals of Addison Pratt, 291; Journal of
Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 176;
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 171‑72, 176; Philemon C. Merrill
letter to Mrs Cyrena Merrill, LDS Church Archives; “The Journal of Robert S.
Bliss,” The Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:74; “Norton Jacob
Autobiography,” BYU, 43‑4; “William Coray Journal”
Hosea Stout
finally found his mare that had been missing for six weeks. Wilford Woodruff spent the day riding around
the lake and through the river bottoms in search of cattle. Willard Richards’ niece, Eliza Ann Peirson
died of chills and fever. She was the
daughter of William and Nancy Richards Peirson.
A son,
Samuel Bulkley, was born to Newman and Jane Draper Bulkley.19
Because of
heavy rains, the company stayed in their camp on the banks of the Des Moines
River, across from Bonaparte, Iowa. The
town contained 40-50 houses and a saw mill which was not working at the time. Thomas Bullock observed: “It appears a snug place.” Captain Allen purchased some provisions in
the town while the camp was busy washing clothes. The weather cleared and it turned out to be a pleasant day.
The second
division of the battalion arrived in Santa Fe during the afternoon, marching in
good order to music. A soldier from the
regular army wrote:
The
remainder of the Mormons came up, and when the wagons containing the women
stopped at the place, all the Mexican women near went up and shook hands with
them, apparently both rejoiced and surprised to see them. . . . I saw one very
pretty Mormon girl who seemed highly pleased at her reception in Santa Fe and
received the Mexicans with as bland a smile as they could have wished.
The third
division, led by Lt. Elam Luddington, arrived later in the evening.
Addison
Pratt was called upon to go and see a very old brother in the Church. Elder Pratt wrote:
I saw he
was verry weak and feeble. Said I, “You
are verry weak and low, and in all probability near your end,” for I saw the
lamp of life was nearly extinguished.
“Yes,” said he, “I am, and what is to become of me? I have been a
warrior and a man of blood. I have
sacrificed the lives of many of my fellow creatures.” Said I, “You did it in a
time when you was swallowed up in heathenish superstition and ignorance. You did it to revenge upon your
enemies. And Paul says, Acts 17:30 ‘The
times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where
to repent.’ And when this his word came to you in the gospel of his son Jesus
Christ, you obeyed it, you have been adopted by baptism into his kingdom, and
since that, you have kept his commandments, and now your trust must be in him
whose blood is able to cleanse you from all sins. And now do not let your mind waver, but place your hope and faith
on him, and he will lead you safely through the dark valley which you are now
about to pass, to that blissful abode of eternal rest, prepared for all that
love and keep his commandments.”
A few days
later he died.
Brooks, ed., On the
Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 204; Wilford
Woodruff’s Journal, 3:93; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley,
ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints; Ellsworth, The Journals of Addison
Pratt, 292; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 176‑77
On this
cold day, Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, and their families attended the
funeral of Elder Willard Richards’ niece, Eliza Ann Peirson. A son, Isaac Cutler Kimball was born to
Heber C. and Emily Kimball. A large
number of the brethren were busy making brick which would be used for chimneys.
A wildfire
burned on the prairie to the south which destroyed six or seven tons of
hay. In the evening a large company of
men was successful in putting out the fire.
The wind had made controlling the fire difficult. Horace Whitney wrote: “The wind was so high today that my tent,
together with a number of others, was blown down, and we were not able to put
them up again until evening, when the wind ceased.”
It was
discovered that each day a few beef cattle were being stolen by their
neighbors, the Omaha Indians. Horace
Whitney explained, “They have had for some time in contemplation a grand
buffalo hunt, which they have abandoned in expectation of living and sustaining
themselves by the killing of our cattle instead.” At times, they would even try to sell the meat back to the
Saints.
In the
afternoon, Thomas Bullock went with Captain Allen over to Bonaparte to obtain
meal and beans. Brother Bullock
wrote: “Altho’ the River is wide and
shallow the Water is the most beautiful that I have seen, for the size of the
River. The bottom is solid Rock, with
loose Stones on it.”
Colonel
Philip St. George Cooke officially assumed command of the Mormon Battalion.20
Colonel Cooke later reflected on the challenge that was presented to him
with this new assignment. “It [the
battalion] was enlisted too much by families; some were too old, some feeble,
some too young; it was embarrassed by many women; it was undisciplined; it was
much worn by travelling on foot, and marching from Nauvoo, Illinois; their
clothing was very scant; there was no money to pay them, or clothing to issue;
their mules were utterly broken down.”
He
numbered the battalion at 486 men, included 60 who were invalids or unfit for
service. There were still twenty‑five
women and many children with the battalion in Santa Fe. Colonel Cooke understood that the journey
ahead would be rugged and only the healthiest men would be able to accomplish
the march. He decided to send the sick
and all the women and children (without husbands) to spend the winter in Pueblo
[Colorado]. The plan was protested by a
number of the men. John Steel
confronted the captain. He wrote that
he did not want to have his wife “left there with only a squad of sick men, I
would not stand it, and the more I talked the more angry I got until at last I
could have thrashed the ground with him.”
General Doniphan later had the order changed to allow a few husbands to
go with their wives to Pueblo.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 412; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The
Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 204; “Journal of Horace K. Whitney”;
“Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the
Saints; Brooks, John Doyle Lee, 102; Yurtinus, A Ram in the
Thicket, 178‑89; Brown, Life of a Pioneer, 41; Nibley, Exodus
to Greatness, 255-56
The
morning was damp and rainy. Brigham
Young laid the foundation of his log house and Heber C. Kimball finished the
walls of his house.21 Wilford Woodruff’s division spent most of
the day building a bridge over Turkey Creek.
Elder Woodruff also worked to mend his tent.
Several
brethren arrived from Nauvoo after a three-week trip. Horace Whitney wrote of their report:
It appears
by their statements that the mob have been pretty busy, plundering houses,
ripping open feather beds and scattering the contents in the streets. They have also defaced the Temple
considerably, inside and out, such as knocking horns from the oxen in the font,
running about the streets and imitating the blowing of horns with them and
doing other acts of sacriledge too numerous to mention. . . . The mob have torn
down the altars and pulpits in the Temple and converted that edifice into a
meat market.
Hosea
Stout crossed over the river at the new ferry crossing, traveled to Henry W.
Miller’s camp and then on to his mother‑in‑law’s camp. The traveling was very difficult over hills
and down ravines. He found his family
doing well and settled next to many of his old neighbors from Nauvoo. Several of the brethren were away on a bee
hunt.
A
daughter, Amanda Jane Rogers, was born to Ann Doolittle Rogers.22
The
company attempted to attack a steep hill near Bonaparte that so many other
companies had had great difficulty climbing during the past months. It was no different for the poor camp. Thomas Bullock wrote:
We started
on the side of a hill, sideways, and slipping almost every yard, thro’ a wood
among stumps and logs. It had commenced
raining during dinner and continued all the journey, which, with the dreadful
road itself, made it most decidedly the worst travelling we have yet had, and
may the Lord preserve us from worse; after much difficulty we got to the top of
the hill where we halted, until every one of the teams got up without accident.
They
camped after six miles. The camp had
been having trouble with pigs coming into their campground. “This is the first night that we have been
free from pigs, and that we had a little peace, not being troubled with the
brutes.”
A son,
Joseph Hyrum Armstrong, was born to John and Mary Kirkbride Armstrong.23
John M.
Bernhisel wrote a letter to Brigham Young while on the steamboat, Fortune. He was on the way to visit towns to seek
food and clothing for the destitute Saints.
He reported that there were only about 8‑10 non‑resident
members of the mob left in Nauvoo.
However, they still did not permit any of the brethren to enter the
city. A mob meeting was scheduled to be
held the following week in Carthage. He
felt that the mob would decide to withdraw from the city because public opinion
was against them all over the country.
He also
wrote:
There is
still quite a number of our people encamped along the shore for about two miles
above Montrose, some have tents, some have quilts or blankets put up for a
shelter, some lodge in wagons, and some few have nothing but a bowery made of
brush. The health of the people is
better than it has been, but still there is considerable sickness among them,
but the most of it is chills and fever.
Colonel
Cooke appointed Captain James Brown to lead the second sick detachment to
Pueblo, about 180 miles to the north.
Private James S. Brown described how the sick men were selected.
We were
drawn up in line, and the officers and Dr. Sanderson inspected the whole
command. The doctor scrutinized every
one of us, and when he said a man was not able to go, his name was added to
[the] detachment, whether the man liked it or not; and when the doctor said a
man could make the trip, that settled the matter. The operation was much like a . . . butcher separating the lean
from the fat sheep.
The
detachment consisted of 86 men, 20 women, and many children.
At first,
all the men assigned to the sick detachment were going to be discharged from
the battalion and would lose their pay.
However, after an appeal to General Doniphan the men were told that they
would not be discharged after all, but be put into “detached service.”
Colonel
Cooke made a very controversial change in the battalion leadership. He appointed Lieutenant A.J. Smith as the
battalion quartermaster in place of Quartermaster Samuel Gully. Levi Hancock and John D. Lee started a
petition requesting Brother Gully to be reinstated. The petition was presented to General Doniphan who agreed with the
petition but he explained that he could not help. John D. Lee then counseled Samuel Gully to resign from the army
in protest and return with him to Council Bluffs.
A fandago24 was put on by the Mexicans and the
Missourians. Most of the members of the
battalion attended at a cost of two dollars per person. John D. Lee refused to go, feeling that it
would be a violation of his covenants if he associated with unbelievers. He also disliking seeing about one thousand
dollars spent foolishly when it could be sent back to help the poor.
William
Coray wrote:
The
officers were requested to attend a party and bring their ladies with
them. I was against the operation but I
was finally persuaded to go for curiosity.
Our accommodations were poor, and the whole affair sickened me. I saw them dance their waltz or what they
called Rovenas. Their music was
tolerable, but the ill manners of the femailes disgusted me. . . . I thought I
would stick it out till supper but had I known before what I knew afterwards
the supper would have been no object as it proved to be a grab game all the way
round, and the man that waited for manners lost his supper.
James
Emmett, Joseph Holbrook, and William Matthews left Ponca for an exploring
expedition. They wished to explore a
route to Fort Laramie.25
Elder
Parley P. Pratt and fellow missionaries, Samuel W. Richards, Franklin D.
Richards, and Moses Martin arrived in Liverpool, England after a twenty-two-day
voyage. They were in good health and
spirits. Soon they found Elders Orson
Hyde and John Taylor, and were kindly received by the Saints.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 412, 433, 487‑88; Hartley, My Best for
the Kingdom, 221; Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, 346; Wilford
Woodruff’s Journal, 3:93; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary
of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 204‑05; Brown, Life of a Pioneer,
41; Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
176; Woman’s Exponent 13:139; Brooks, Mormon Battalion Mission: John D. Lee, 204‑05 Nibley, Exodus
to Greatness, 256‑57; Ricketts, Melissa’s Journey with the Mormon
Battalion, 36‑7; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints
Wilford
Woodruff experienced what he referred to as “one of the most painful and
serious misfortunes of my life.” As
Elder Woodruff was working on his house, he traveled to the bluffs to cut some
shingle timbers for his roof. He
recorded:
While
felling the third tree, I stepped back of it some eight feet, where I thought I
was entirely out of danger. There was,
however, a crook in the tree, which, when the tree fell, struck a knoll and
caused the tree to bound endwise back of the stump. As it bounded backwards, the butt end of the tree hit me in the
breast, and knocked me back and above the ground several feet, against a
standing oak. The falling tree followed
me in its bounds and severely crushed me against the standing tree. I fell to the ground, alighting upon my
feet. My left thigh and hip were badly
bruised, also my left arm; my breast bone and three ribs on my left side were
broken. I was bruised about my lungs,
vitals and left side in a serious manner.
After the
accident, Elder Woodruff painfully rode his horse for almost three miles on a
very rough road.
My breast
and vitals were so badly injured that at each step of the horse the pain went
through me like an arrow. I continued
on horseback until I arrived at Turkey Creek, on the north side of Winter
Quarters. I was then exhausted, and was
taken off the horse and carried in a chair to my wagon. . . . I was met in the
street by Presidents Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, and
others, who assisted in carrying me to [my] wagon. Before placing me upon my bed they laid hands upon me, and in the
name of the Lord rebuked the pain and distress, and said that I should live,
and not die.26
Eliza
Partridge Lyman recorded in her journal:
“We went into our log house, the first house my three-month-old baby has
ever been in.”
As Hosea
Stout was searching for oxen that he had lost many weeks earlier, he visited
the former headquarters of the Camp of Israel which had been located on
Mosquito Creek.27 He wrote, “This country presented to me a
dreary appearance and especially my old tenting ground on Hydes ridge. I passed down by Taylor’s camp which was now
but a deserted point all dreary & lonesome.”
Brother
Stout continued on down to Council Point, near the river. He spent the evening with George and Joseph
Herring, Indians, who were members of the church. He had a wonderful evening with them and was treated with much
kindness.
The
company did not travel on this cold and windy day. They waited for Brother Fisher to catch up and also sent men back
to Bonaparte to hunt for stray cattle.
They returned in the evening with three teams.
The
officers in the battalion started to receive their pay. Colonel Cooke issued the official orders for
the sick detachment.
Agreeable
to instructions from the Colonel commanding, Capt. Jas. Brown will take command of the men reported
by the assistant surgeon as incapable, from sickness and debility, of
undertaking the present march to California.
The Lieutenant‑Colonel, commanding, deems that the laundresses on
this march will be accompanied by much suffering and would be a great
encumbrance to the expedition; and as nearly all are desirous of accompanying
the detachment of invalids which will winter near the source of the Arkansas
River, it is ordered that all be attached to Captain Brown’s party.
The
detachment will consist of Captain James Brown, three sergeants, two corporals,
sixteen privates of company C; First Lieutenant E. Luddington and ten privates
of Company B; one sergeant and corporal and twenty‑eight privates of
Company D; and one sergeant and ten privates of Company E., and four laundresses
from each company. Captain Brown will,
without delay, require the necessary transportation and draw rations for twenty‑one
days. Captain Brown will march on the
17th inst. He will be furnished with a
descriptive list of the detachment. He
will take with him and give receipts for a full portion of camp equipments.
The
commanding officer calls the particular attention of company commanders to the
necessity of reducing the baggage as much as possible; transportation is
deficient. The road most practicable is
of deep sand and how soon we shall have to abandon the wagons it is impossible
now to ascertain. Skillets and ovens
cannot be taken, and but one camp kettle to a mess of not less than ten men.
Company
commanders will make their requisitions on the Assistant Quartermaster, Captain
W. M. D. McKissock, for mules and wagons, provision bags, pack saddle complete,
and such other articles as are necessary for the outfit.
An
editorial appeared in the Millennial Star announcing the mission of
Orson Hyde, John Taylor and Parley P. Pratt in England.
During last
winter, the council of the church in America under guidance of the Holy Spirit,
deemed it necessary to send to you a number of fellow laborers in the gospel. .
. . Since the above arrangements were made, and in some measure carried into
effect, it hath pleased the Lord to direct the council by his Spirit to send
unto you, in addition, a deputation of three of their own number, with
instructions to regulate and set in order the various departments of the
church.
Nibley, Faith
Promoting Stories, 20‑22; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 3:93;
Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861,
205; Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
176; Tyler, A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion, 166‑67; Roberts, Comprehensive History of the
Church, 3:123; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints; Amasa Mason Lyman, Pioneer, 157
The
weather was chilly. The Council wrote a
letter to Indian Agent, Robert B. Mitchell at Sarpy’s Point, asking permission
to use the government mill to saw boards for the construction of the Winter
Quarters flouring mill. Most of the
brethren in the city continued to work hard building houses. Horace K. Whitney had completed enough of
the roof on his house that his family was able to move into it. They shared the house with several others. He wrote, “We cleared out the inside of it
and the family moved into it in the evening.
Brother K took two of his tents down and spread them over the roof.”
A
daughter, Caroline Rocealy Hunter, was born to Edward and Laura Hunter. Patty Session helped with the delivery.28
Sarah A.
Coventon, age nine months, died of chills and fever. She was the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Coventon.
Hosea
Stout traveled to Sarpy’s Point and wrote, “there was not much going on because
of the cold. There was many large
companies of Indians there waiting for their annual payment.”
Sister
Joan Campbell died during the night, a few hours after giving birth to a
stillborn child. When the mob attacked
Nauvoo, she had been in good health.
But after being forced to leave the city, her health became poor because
of the exposure to the wet and cold weather.
The company felt that she had died a martyr’s death. Captain Allen sent
men to Bonaparte to get wood to make Sister Campbell’s coffin. It was constructed and she was buried that
day.
Members of
the camp were detained from moving on because a constable from Van Buren County
put a lien on a yoke of cattle because of a supposed debt of eight dollars owed
by one of the members of the camp. At 8
p.m., snow flurries were seen, but melted as they hit the ground.
One of the
Nauvoo Trustees, Joseph Heywood wrote a letter to Brigham Young from what he
called, “Hell Town, formerly Nauvoo.”
He wrote about his concern for the graves of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. The location of the graves was a carefully
guarded secret. Brother Heywood
believed that a Mr. Van Tuyl, who was Emma Smith’s renter, had learned the
location of the graves from Emma.29 Brother Heywood asked for Brigham Young’s
permission to remove the bodies to another location.30
During the
night, someone broke into Doctor Sanderson’s trunk and stole his gold watch
valued at $300. Also stolen was Pilot
Phillip Thompson’s watch worth $80. In
the morning, each company furnished ten men to guard their company while others
searched the entire camp. Nothing was
found.
The
enlisted members of the battalion started to receive pay from the paymaster,
Jeremiah H. Cloud. They had to be paid
in checks, rather than cash. Each man
received one and one half months’ pay, or about $10 each. John D. Lee and Captain Jefferson Hunt
worked to try to convince the men to send their checks to the Church.
Elder
Addison Pratt heard that a sister in the Church, married to a Catholic man, was
dangerously ill and heavy with child.
He sent a message to her, asking if she wished to receive a blessing,
and if her husband would permit it. He
wrote: “Her husband received me very
cordially, and said we were of different denominations, but that ought not to
disturb our friendship as neighburs, and it was customary in his church to send
for the clergy in times of sickness.
But still he did not believe it was in man to do anything for her or
anyboddy else.” After he left the room,
Elder Pratt administered to her. The
following day he learned that the sister delivered a stillborn child but she
was doing fine. She believed that the
Lord had saved her life because of the blessing she received.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 413; Ellsworth, The Journals of Addison Pratt,
292‑93; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout
1844‑1861, 205; Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of
the Mormon Battalion, 176; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 190‑91;
Newell and Avery, Mormon Enigma Emma Hale Smith, 240‑41; “Thomas
Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints;
Patty Session Diary in Our Pioneer Heritage, 2:62
The
weather continued to turn colder. There
had been a severe frost overnight.
Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Willard Richards prepared to send
their cattle to the north for the winter.
The
brethren wrote a letter to a Mr. Logan Fontenelle, an Indian interpreter,
explaining that they wished to meet with the chiefs of the Omaha Indian
nation. They wished to address the ongoing
problem with stealing of cattle. This
subject needed to be addressed carefully, “We want such an understanding with
the Omaha as to prevent any collision or trouble for our feelings are kind
toward them and al men.”
Robert H.
Brinton, age eleven months, died of chills and fever. He was the son of David and Elizabeth Brinton.
The
company was still detained by Constable Avery.
Finally, Captain Allen agreed to pay him $16 in goods from the camp, to
enable the camp to continue to move on.
Almon W. Babbitt, one of the Nauvoo Trustees, passed the camp on his way
back to Nauvoo. He gave Thomas Bullock
a letter from Willard Richards. Brother
Bullock wrote that this “caused my Soul to rejoice, and desire more and more to
be with him, that I might unpack the Records and enjoy the ‘good days together’
as he speaks of.” Sister Joan Campbell
and her baby were buried in one coffin.
Thomas Bullock observed: “Thus
have I seen the Saint laid low in the Wilderness, followed by one single
mourner, having been banished from the land of their adoption by a brutal mob
(sanctioned by Governor Ford the Governor of Illinois) on account of her
religion.”
The
company held an evening service at which Captain Allen exhorted them to say
their prayers, be unified, follow their leaders, help one another, and take
care of the sick. They closed the
meeting by singing “How Firm a Foundation.”
Right after the meeting, a cry of “Wagon on fire” was heard. Sister Mary Smith’s wagon was in flames but
was quickly put out.
The
battalion members made preparations to leave Santa Fe. Colonel Cooke received his beef cattle and
pack saddles.
A General
Conference of the Church was held in Manchester attended by several thousand
Saints. Elder Parley P. Pratt addressed
the congregation. The conference
minutes recorded, “He observed that there was danger of one’s lagging behind in
this work. The only way to insure our
happiness was to keep up with it. The river
may roll on and the ship be left on the sand.
This kingdom shall roll on till all the kingdoms become the kingdom of
Christ.”
Elder
Orson Hyde added:
The
traveler in our country who keeps up in front rank breathes a pure air, his
vision is clear, and his garments free from dust; but if he lags behind, the
dust gets into his eyes that he cannot see, and into his ears that he cannot
hear. He also inhales the dust with
every breath, is choked and stifled, and perhaps stumbles and falls; yet, if by
chance he finds his way through to the inn, he is so completely disguised and
covered with dust and dirt that he is not recognized or known.
It was
agreed that Elder Orson Hyde, would attend to the business of publishing the Millennial
Star at Liverpool. John Taylor and
Parley P. Pratt were assigned to visit the different conferences across the
British Isles. Elder Franklin D.
Richards was appointed to preside over the mission in Scotland, with his
brother Samuel W. Richards as his assistant.
Dan Jones reported there were one thousand Saints in Wales. The Twelve were sustained as the authorized
authorities of the Church.
Reuben
Hedlock, who had fled before the arrival of the brethren, was excommunicated
from the Church for practicing fraud and deceit, and for neglecting to comply
with counsel. Elder Hyde commented that
Hedlock’s actions were dishonest and unrighteous. The “Joint Stock Company” was dissolved and it was discovered
that the company’s receivers could only pay one shilling and three pence for
every pound that was paid into the company.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 413‑14, 418; Bennett, Mormons at the Missouri, 1846‑1852, 96;
Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails, 67; Autobiography of Parley P.
Pratt, 346; Roberts, Comprehensive
History of the Church, 3:127‑28; Jenson, Church Chronology,
October 17, 1846; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints
A Sabbath
meeting was held at the stand in Winter Quarters, but it was poorly
attended. Brigham Young asked the
Saints to be more faithful regarding resting on the Sabbath and attending their
meetings. He also addressed some recent
concerns. The Omaha Indians had been
killing a number of the camp's cattle.
He counseled the Saints to be cautious in their associations with the
Omahas. They should stop selling their
dogs to the Indians because the Indians were trying to decrease the number of
dogs in order to make it easier to steal from the camp. He warned the brethren to not shoot at the
Indians, even if they were caught stealing cattle. For protection, the Saints resolved to organize their wagons and
tents into a more compact ring.
Homebuilding
in Winter Quarters was well underway.
President Young understood that the Saints also needed to care the
thousands of cattle which would be used for the journey west. Arrangements were made for a cattle drive to
the river bottoms in the north, where there were rushes (marsh plants) for the
cattle to feed on during the winter.
Brigham Young and others wanted to hire brethren to herd their cattle
during the winter for a fee of two dollars per head. Hundreds of the livestock were still missing. Companies would be organized for a two day
search.
President
Young discussed the building plans for each block in Winter Quarters. The houses should be built on the outside of
the block, with the yards on the inside.
Five wells on each block should be enough.
The camp
guard was discussed. The brethren wished
that each of the thirteen wards would provide their own guards. Each ward would need two guards. Brigham Young objected to this idea, feeling
that this plan would require too many men.
Instead he proposed that the guard continue to be managed by Colonel
Stephen Markham and Hosea Stout. His
proposal was sustained.
A
daughter, Frances Maria Russell, was born to Samuel and Mary Abigail Thorne
Russell. Patty Sessions helped with the
delivery.
A letter
had been received in Garden Grove from Brigham Young asking for teams to be
sent back to bring the poor from the banks of the Mississippi. Luman Shurtliff was chosen to lead a company
of eighteen yoke of oxen, wagons, and teamsters. In the morning they started out with 75 cents of expense money
for a journey of about 340 miles. He
wrote: “This was the best we could do
so we loaded in some squashes and pumpkins for the teams and rolled out, thus
equipped to gather home the poor Saints. . . . We traveled on cheerfully as
though we had been rich and plenty of money at our command.”
The camp
experienced a severe frost during the night “which caused the ground to be
white [all] over and a thickish Ice on the Water.” They participated in the daily pioneer activity of cattle hunting
and headed out in the afternoon “with a beautiful blue sky over a prairie.” They passed over Indian Creek on a bridge in
terrible shape.
Gustavus
Hills, age forty-two, died. He was the
husband of Elizabeth Manfield Hills.31
A son,
Thomas J. Hall, was born to Thomas and Ann Hughes Hall.32
The Mormon
officers in the battalion wrote a letter to Brigham Young and the Twelve. They gave a short report of their situation
as they prepared to march on, to California.
They reported that Colonel Cooke had taken over the command. Brothers Samuel Gully and James H. Glines had
been removed from their offices. “We
are sorry for this but cannot help it.”
They blamed Adjutant George P. Dykes, “whose conduct has rendered him
odious to the whole Battalion.” Their
report continued, “We are going to march this day for California. We shall travel down the Rio Grande, by the
copper mines, thence to the nearest point on the Pacific, thence to the Bay of
San Francisco, where we expect to join General Kearny’s army.” They apologized that they could not send
back more money, because they were paid very little, “but if you should see
fit, in your wisdom and judgment, to send someone to meet the army in
California, we shall be able to send you much more, as there will be two months
pay due the first of November.”
At 10
a.m., Captain James Brown led the sick detachment out of Santa Fe. The parting was difficult. Henry W. Bigler wrote: “In that detachment I had a dear sister and
brother‑in‑law, John W. Hess.
I felt lonesome after they left for I liked their company very
much.”
Shortly
after leaving, Adjutant Dykes reported to Colonel Cooke that James H. Glines
(who had recently been demoted) had taken with him his sword and other items
that pertained to his former office.
Colonel Cooke sent a file of men to retrieve the items and ordered that
Glines be put under guard. Several of
the men felt that Dykes had driven Glines from his office because of personal
jealousies. Captain Brown’s detachment
had only one baggage wagon which carried twenty‑seven men who were so
sick that they could not walk. The
teams were so broken down that the other men had to often help pull the wagon.
The rest
of the battalion, at Santa Fe, received their sixty days’ rations. Colonel Cooke recorded, “I have reluctantly
consented to take five women‑‑the wives of officers and
sergeants. They are transported and
provisioned at their own expense.”
These women were Susanna Davis, Lydia Hunter, Phebe Brown, Melissa Coray
and Sophia Tubbs.33 There were also at least four children
remaining with the battalion.
William
Coray recorded:
Col. Cooke . . . was about at the point of giving
an order that all the laundresses should go back to Pueblo with the sick and
invalids of the Battalion, but Capt.
Hunter chanced to hear of the calculation and informed Capt. Davis, Sgt.
Brown and myself of it. We
concluded to go over and make a contract with the Col. to let our wives go with
us. To this he consented after some
parleying, but said we must take them at our own expense, that they must be no
detriment to the company. In the
meantime the women were moaning and crying about the camp, thinking that their
husbands might be separated from them, and that they would be left in the care
of sick men among savage tribes of Indians.
Many of our brethren swore they would not leave their wives, orders or
no orders. I thought so myself, but
finally the Col for some purpose gave the men the privilege of going with their
wives.
Azariah
Smith described his activities for the day: “I went to another Catholic
meeting. They performed the same as
before only the Priest delivered a speech.
After the meeting I stayed to see the Ladies, some of which looked very
pretty, others looked like destruction.
I then went down in town and saw a Bear, which was spry as a cat.”
The
General Conference continued with a morning session held at the Hall of
Science. Various Elders were appointed
to serve as presidents over the conferences (districts). Ireland was organized as a conference. Elder John Taylor preached “an excellent
sermon” in the evening.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 414‑17; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 205; Nibley, Exodus
to Greatness, 258‑59; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 267‑68;
Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 67; “Extracts from
the Journal of Henry W. Bigler” in Utah Historical Quarterly, 5:2:41;
Talbot, A Historical Guide to the Mormon Battalion and Butterfield Trail,
27; Bigler, The Gold Discovery Journal of Azariah Smith, 41; “Luman
Shurtliff Autobiography,” typescript, BYU, 67; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp
Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints; Patty Session Diary
in Our Pioneer Heritage, 2:62
The cattle
drive to the rush bottoms in the north began.
At noon, Heber C. Kimball sent about 130 head of cattle and Brigham
Young sent 110. Many other brethren
also sent their cattle to the north.
The Church’s cattle would be sent in the morning. Brigham Young wrote a long letter of
instruction to Brother Asahel Lathrop, who was about seventy miles to the
north, at the rush bottoms.
President
Young instructed him to create a large yard for his cattle. The cattle should be introduced to the
rushes gradually until they had been accustomed to eating them. He wrote:
The
Missourians are raising the price of wheat and eatables, but we shall find some
means of sustenance when we get our mill in operation, and will be able to
assist the herdsmen if they want, of this you will apprize us. It will be a blessing to the brethren to
organize themselves, have their social meetings and pray with and for each
other, and bless each other but never curse.
Pay all that attention to the Sabbath that your situation will possibly
admit of and you will be doubly prospered, the remaining six days.
He
counseled the Saints to be kind to one another and to work hard. He mentioned that the cattle that were being
sent were “as a drop to the ocean” compared to the number that have to be
wintered for the entire Camp of Israel.
“If you have examined the country and learned anything new about
locations, rushes, etc., inform us.”
The letter closed with, “The health of our camp is improving, though the
cold has been severe the past two days, and nights the frost was hard, and
scarcely a house tenanted as yet, though many are under way.”
In the
evening the brethren administered to Joseph Young’s sick wife.
A son,
David W. Clark, was born to David P. and Sarah E. Clark.34
Patty Sessions helped with the delivery and also mentioned helping
Sister Fullmer, Sister Pickett and
Sister Pitt.
As the
camp arose, they discovered that Captain Allen’s cattle had strayed. A number of men went to search for
them. When Captain Allen returned, he
discovered nine men in the camp who were sitting around the fires, doing
nothing. He chastised the men and they
all went out to look for the cattle.
They were not found until 3 p.m.
It was too late for the camp to travel that day, so they lost another
day because of stray cattle.
John D.
Lee had collected about $1,200 of checks from the battalion and started his
journey back to Council Bluffs. He was
accompanied by Howard Egan, Samuel Gully, and Roswell Stevens. The men of the battalion prepared to start
their journey to California. William
Hyde wrote:
My feelings
on leaving Santa Fe were of no ordinary kind.
The Battalion had been divided, and thus I had been called to part with
many of my brethren whose health was feeble, and also with those [John D. Lee’s
group] who had been the bearers of letters from my family and the families of
my brethren, and should, in turn were to carry news to our families, which was
probably the last opportunity of the kind with which we would be favored for at
least one year.
At noon,
Colonel Cooke ordered the Mormon Battalion, now numbering 397, to start their
march toward California. An officer in
the regular army, George Gibson watched them leave. “They left without noise or confusion and I watched them from
Fort Marcy as they slowly gained in distance until they were entirely lost to
view. Their departure has considerably
thinned the town, but we still have more troops than are needed at this point,
as they only create confusion and disturbance.”
The
battalion marched six miles along the Santa Fe River to Agua Fria. They left with 3 mule wagons for each
company, 6 large ox wagons for heavy equipment, 4 mule wagons for the battalion
staff, and 5 private wagons. Colonel
Cooke left Santa Fe later and arrived into camp at sunset. He wrote, “Here I found all huddled in the
sandy creek bottoms; no grass. . . . The battalion were never drilled, and
though obedient, have little discipline.
They exhibit great heedlessness and ignorance and some obstinacy.” Colonel Cooke discovered that there were
five women with the company instead of the four that he had agreed to. He ordered that lots be cast to determine
which of the women would return to Santa Fe.
However, Ebenezer Brown reminded Colonel Cooke about a previous
agreement and the Colonel decided to let all five women remain with the
battalion.
Reuben
Miller, who had left the Church and followed after James Strang, was accepted
back into the Church and rebaptized. (See
January 20 and June 27, 1846.)
Brother Miller had served for a time as the Voree Stake President in the
Strangite Church but soon became convinced the James Strang was a fraud. He returned to Nauvoo and confessed his errors. He planned to return to Voree, home of the
Strangites, to “enlighten his benighted and deluded brethren.”35
Addison
Pratt and Benjamin Grouard wrote a letter of report to Brigham Young. “Since we came to these seas, the Lord so
ordered events with us, that our labors have been scattered among a number of
islands, consequently the members added to the Church are scattered also.” They reported that a conference had been
held on September 24. The conference
minutes reported there were 852 members of the Church on 9 islands. Several European members had left for
America.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 417‑20, 435, 439, 450; “William Hyde
Journal”; Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 67‑70;
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 207‑209; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp
Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints
The Church
cattle were sent off to the north with a group of herdsmen. A general hunt was conducted for lost cattle
and many were found. The prairie to the
south of Winter Quarters caught on fire, burning several tons of hay and a
large amount of feed. Men were quickly
raised to fight the fire. They
successfully put it out in the afternoon.
However, there was some disorganization. Hosea Stout explained:
"Some, in order to save their hay put fire in the grass without any
judgement & burnt up their own and others hay which would not have been
injured but for themselves."
The
members of the Twelve wrote letters of appointment for Elders Andrew Cahoon and
William Mitchell who were called to serve a mission to the British Isles. The Council also wrote a letter to Orson
Spencer (leaving Winter Quarters for a mission to England) intended for the
members of the Twelve in England, sharing the news of the Battle of Nauvoo and
other recent events.
The
company got an early start. They passed
through Mechanicsburg at 11 a.m.
Afterwards, Thomas Bullock saw something unique to him:
After a
mile or two journey, an extraordinary sight came in view‑-a whirlwind was
passing over an immense field of corn.
It was curious, yet wonderful to see the blossoms, leaves and pieces of
Corn Stalks shoot up in the air some thirty feet, as if shot from some gun, and
then whirl away round and round to about 200 and 300 feet high, keeping aloft
like so many Sky larks and then again descend with a whirling motion to within
20 or 30 feet of the ground, when they would again reascend, and repeat the
same whirling journey.
The
company continued on and met Charles Decker heading to Bonaparte for
provisions. In the afternoon, they
reached Richardson’s Point. They
continued on for several more miles and camped near the Fox River.
The
battalion marched on for twelve miles, passed through some Mexican settlements,
and camped along the San Marcos Arroyo.
The ground was barren, “hardly fit to sprout black eyed peas.” Colonel Cooke became angry when he discovered
that water buckets had not been obtained in Santa Fe. The men were trying to get used to their new commander and
discovered that he was a hard disciplinarian.
Captain Jesse Hunter had returned to Santa Fe to search for one of his
lost mules. Colonel Cooke ordered him
to be arrested for leaving without permission and made him march in the rear
for a few days without a saber.
In the
evening, Colonel Cooke issued a long order of regulations. He cut the rations to three quarters. The men were prohibited from having the
public wagons carry their muskets or knapsacks. No one could stray from their company over a quarter of a mile
without permission. No muskets could be
fired in the camp. At reveille, all
would assemble for roll call, carrying their arms. The morning routine was defined to the detail and those who don’t
follow the regulations would be put under guard. Daniel Tyler wrote, “The officers and soldiers were brought to
the letter of the law. The discipline
enforced was quite as strict as that of the regular army.”
The Nauvoo
Trustees wrote to Brigham Young informing him of the rebaptism of Reuben
Miller. They also reported that the
keys of the temple had been returned by the mob to Brother Paine.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 420‑21, 439; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 206; Tyler, A
Concise History of the Mormon Battalion, 175‑77; Yurtinus, A Ram
in the Thicket, 209‑11; Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails
1846‑1854, 70‑1; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed.,
Pioneer Camp of the Saints
Brigham
Young gave Dr. Samuel Sprague money to buy medicine on a trip to St. Louis,
Missouri. A package of letters was
prepared to send east with William Pickett who was returning to Nauvoo. Willard Richards wrote a letter to Joseph
Young and the Nauvoo Trustees asking them to send on the Seventies' Quorum
library.
Three Otoe
Indians came into camp and reported that twenty Indians were on the way for a
visit. They wanted a cow.
In the
evening, John Benbow, Joseph Fielding, Mary Fielding Smith and families arrived
at Winter Quarters after a quick, two‑week journey across Iowa. Joseph Fielding wrote about their approach
to Winter Quarters. “The lights of the
camp of the Saints as we saw the lights at a distance were interesting. It reminded us of Israel of old in the
wilderness . . . there were few houses; nearly all were in their tents upon
about a square half mile.”
Barbara
Heath, age fifty-two, died of chills and fever. She was the wife of John Heath.
Also died was Edward Rigby, age fifty-seven. He was the husband of Susannah Hartliff Rigby. A son, Richard Lyman, was born to George and
Rosanna Lyman.36
The
company traveled fourteen miles. Eight
more Saints joined their wagon train.
Flies were starting to be annoying on their journey. They camped on the west fork of the Fox
River.
Colonel
Cooke ordered an early reveille in order to make a long march. He learned that nineteen beef cattle and
fourteen mules were missing. He
immediately sent off men to find them.
After an hour they were all found and brought back. The battalion marched on difficult roads
leading to the Galisteo River bottom near present‑day Cerillos, New
Mexico.37 After a weary, hot, twenty‑four mile
march, they camped a mile northeast of San Felipe Pueblo, near La Mesita. Doctor Stephen Foster was sent out to
purchase corn, but could only buy twenty‑four bushels. Some San Felipe Indians brought melons,
apples, and onions to sell, but they would not accept American dollars. There was no wood where they camped and it
had to be brought from a hill three miles away.
The second
sick detachment reached Pecos River. A
daughter, Betsy Prescindia Huntington, was born to Private Dimick B. Huntington
and Fanny Allen Huntington.38
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 421; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 211‑13;
Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 71‑2;
Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
179; Corbett, Mary Fielding Smith, Daughter of Britain, 202; “Thomas
Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints
Another
large rush bottom was found about twenty‑six miles up the river that
could be used to winter additional cattle.
Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Willard Richards met with several
of the Otoe Indians and gave them some beef from the meat market run by Lorenzo
Dow Young and others.
In the
afternoon, several of the brethren rode to Cutler’s Park grove to help load
some logs for Willard Richards’ unusual octagon shaped house that was under
construction in Winter Quarters.
Brigham Young, with humor, referred in his history to Elder Richards as,
“Dr. Octagon.”39
In the
evening, Brigham Young and others went to bless Sister Jane Benbow who was sick
and recently arrived from Nauvoo. She
gave them a cake that she had made before being expelled from the city, one
month earlier.
Heber C.
Kimball and his wife had supper with Stephen Markham’s camp that included Eliza
R. Snow. They had a “splendid pot‑pie
made of veal.” Patriarch John Smith
reminded Sister Snow that she had promised to write a poem for him. A few days later she wrote a poem which
included:
Great glory
awaits thee, thou father in Israel
To reward
all the toils & the labor of love:
The angels
that guard thee‑‑that watch o’er the pathway
Are proud
to report thee in council above.
The pathway
that leads to the mansions of glory
Where
freedom & justice eternally reign:
The Lord
God of Jacob has chose for the footsteps,
To bring
thee to dwell in His presence again.
Caroline
Roccaly Hunter, age six days, died. She
was the daughter of Edward and Laura Hunter.
Also, Angelina Elizabeth Lawrence, age three years, died. She was the daughter of John and Rhoda
Sanford Lawrence. Peter Williams, age
thirty-five, died. He was the husband
of Elizabeth Williams.
After the
usual morning cattle hunt, the Poor Camp continued their journey at 9 a.m. On the way, they met Luman Shurtliff’s
rescue teams from Garden Grove. Captain
Allen’s camp now included 28 wagons, 47 yoke of oxen, 31 cows, and 157 people.
The
battalion assembled quickly when reveille was sounded. They were ready for roll call before the
music was finished. Colonel Cooke noted
that this was a great improvement. The
day before, they only started to assemble when the music finished. Sergeant William Coray explained:
The buglers
would blow the assembly and the drummers would set immediately and play a
reveille not to exceed two minutes in all and if the men were not in the ranks
to answer to their names, they were ordered on an extra tour of guard. Every man was to be in the ranks before the
drum ceased. The teamsters would scamper
for their mules and have scarce time to hitch up before the advance signal
would be given when every man must quit all, even his breakfast, and come in to
ranks.
They
started their march at 9 a.m. and reached the Rio Grande where they saw plenty
of wild geese, beautiful peach orchards, and grape vineyards. They traveled along the river and passed by
several Mexican villages. The Mexican
women were amazed to learn that the troops had women with them and they lined
the roads to get a glimpse of the sisters.
The battalion arrived at the village of San Bernalillo, where they camped
in some cornfields. The traveling was
difficult because the men had to push to the wagons nearly all day over sandy
roads. Colonel Cooke released Captain
Jesse Hunter from his punishment for returning to Santa Fe without
permission. He had been made to travel
in the rear of his company. Sergeant
Coray wrote: “But the Capt., being a
humorous fellow, cared very little about it and appeared as well contented in
rear of his company as in the front.”
Colonel
Cooke wanted to purchase oxen and mules from the San Bernalillo citizens, but
they had ill feelings against the government because of the recent conquest,
and refused.
John D.
Lee’s group overtook the sick detachment.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 422; Bennett, Mormons at the Missouri, 77;
Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 72‑3;
Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
179; “The Journal of Robert S. Bliss,” Utah Historical Quarterly 4:75;
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 213‑14, 269; Ricketts, Melissa’s
Journey with Then Mormon Battalion, 40; Beecher, ed., The Personal
Writings of Eliza R. Snow, 144‑45; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal”
in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints.
A meeting
was held at the stand at Winter Quarters.
Brigham Young gave directions regarding the cattle drive. One hundred brethren volunteered to hunt for
cattle to the north of the settlement and they were immediately sent out. Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball rode
north on horseback to help with the search.
They were successful in find many of the cattle.
On their
return, they found Big Elk, the Omaha chief and twenty of his braves camped
beside President Young’s new house.
In the
evening, members of the Twelve met with the High Council. It was decided that all the stray cattle and
sheep belonging to the battalion families should be gathered up and wintered
for two dollars per head. The same
counsel would be given to the Saints on the east side of the river.
The
company started early, with a cold wind at their faces. They came to one of the most terrible roads
encountered so far and then traveled over a prairie, camping on the west bank
of Soap Creek.
The
battalion marched eleven miles and passed through a town. They found apples, grapes, bread and other
items for sale. Colonel Cooke and
others were sick with influenza. The
march was difficult. It took one
company seven hours to travel the eleven miles. Colonel Cooke wrote, “For several days before today, the heat and
dust has been great, whilst I have been kept awake at night (sleeping under
three blankets) by cold.” They met a
number of the Missouri Volunteers who had left Santa Fe four days before the
battalion. These Volunteers were on a
mission to go against the Navajo Indians.
Their company had been delayed for two or three days collecting lost
animals. The battalion camped near
present‑day Alameda, New Mexico.
The second
sick detachment neared Las Vegas, New Mexico.
They were scattered along the trail.
By evening the wagon carrying the knapsacks did not arrive, so the men
had to spend the night on the muddy ground without even a blanket over
them. Private Abner Chase died at
Purgatory River. He was thirty-three
and the son of Abner and Amy Scott Chase.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 422‑23; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 206; Cooke, Exploring
Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 73‑4; Yurtinus, A Ram in the
Thicket, 214‑15, 270; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley,
ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints
Brigham
Young and other members of the Twelve met with the Omaha chief, Big Elk and his
delegation. Big Elk said that he
understood there were some bad feelings
between the Omahas and the Saints.
President Young explained to him that about fifty oxen and many sheep
had been killed. Big Elk replied that
the destruction to game and timber by the Saints was more than the value of the
cattle taken, but he admitted that he had some bad young men among the Omahas,
that he was old and could not restrain them. He said that the young men could not help themselves when they saw
all the Saint’s cattle scattered about.
They did not like having white men on their grounds and did not respect
Big Elk. He advised Brigham Young that
the cattle and city should be fenced in to deter the stealing. He said, “I can not guide all of my people;
they are wild; they are just like the wolves of the prairie for when they are
hungry they don’t know better than to take what is handiest.”
Brigham
Young stated that the Saints were the friends of the Omahas. They were ready to help them by harvesting
corn and trading with them. Big Elk
said that he came to settle this difficulty and also wanted to use some of the
timber that the Saints had cut.
In the
evening, a council meeting was held with the bishops of Winter Quarters. They reported on their stewardships to help
the poor and sick. Several had been
supporting families out of their own pockets.
They expressed their determination to attend to their callings
faithfully. Brigham Young pledged that
the families of the battalion should be taken care of. He asked the brethren to make a special
effort in this area. He asked the
bishops to number the people in their wards.
Houses should be built for families that wanted them. He encouraged the bishops to appoint
counselors to help if they were needed.
President
Young reported on his meeting with the Omahas.
He counseled the brethren to picket the city for protection.
John
Akley, age thirty-four, died. He was
the husband of Jane Akley.
A company
meeting was held in the morning.
Captain Allen spoke about the need for working. He made specific work assignments for men to
serve as blacksmiths, traders, hunters, and other needed roles. Many of the men took on their assignments
and spent a very busy day at work.
Colonel
Cooke sent men ahead to the Ranches of Albuquerque to trade or purchase
mules. They were able to trade three of
the worst mules for good ones, plus sixty-five dollars. When Colonel Cooke reached the Ranches, he
exchanged thirty additional broken-down mules for fifteen good ones. He additionally purchased twelve other
mules.
At the
Ranches of Albuquerque, he met Baptiste “Pomp” Charbonneau, the son of
Toussaint Charbonneau and Sacajewea. He
was famous for his birth and cradle‑board trip with Lewis and Clark. Colonel Cooke and Charbonneau briefly
discussed the routes ahead.
The
battalion soon reached the city of Albuquerque. Colonel Cooke purchased twelve bushels of corn ears. He found a Captain John Henry K. Burgwin’s
camp stationed in the area to protect the Mexican settlements from Indian
attacks. From Captain Burgwin, he was
able to exchange mules, purchase twenty oxen, and exchange some heavy wagons
for lighter ones.
The
soldiers crossed the Rio Grande, wading in chilly water that barely reached
their knees. Mexicans also provided
mule rides across the river for five cents.
After marching south on the west bank for three miles, the battalion
camped on a grassy spot near the road.
They had marched for a total of eleven miles.
Abner
Blackburn observed: “The Rio Grande
Valley is furtile and thickly settled with watter ditches running where needed
for irigation and numerious towns and villeges.” The soldiers were somewhat shocked at the lack of clothing worn
by the natives. Daniel Tyler wrote,
“Many of the men were as nude as when born, except a breech‑cloth . . .
tied around the loins.”
Samuel
Brannan published an “extra” in advance to his newspaper that would begin
regular publication two months later.
The paper was called the “California Star.”
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 423‑26; Journal of Heber C. Kimball; Bennett, Mormons at the Missouri, 1846‑1852,
96; Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 74‑6;
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 215‑18; Bagley (ed.), Frontiersman: Abner Blackburn’s Narrative, 44; Tyler, A
Concise History of the Mormon Battalion, 178; Cowan and Homer, California
Saints, 55‑6; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints
Brigham
Young spoke at an afternoon meeting. He
encouraged the Saints to remember the
Sabbath day and to keep it holy.
"Revelation required us to worship God one day in seven, and when
we have traveled on the Sabbath, since we left Nauvoo, we have been sure to
stop two or three days during the week.
It is wisdom to rest on the Sabbath and partake of the Sacrament."
President
Young announced plans to fence in the city for protection. He remarked that the Lord had been blessing
them with good weather. Typically by
this time of the year, a snow storm has usually appeared. He prophesied that within tens years that
the tale of their journey and sufferings would be one of the most interesting
histories in the world.
He
mentioned that Addison Everett was asking sisters to make willow baskets that could be sold in the western
markets. Wool stockings and leggings
made from skins were also in demand.
Heber C. Kimball asked the Saints to save their rags and which could be
sold for flour.
The High
Council decided to appoint ten men to gather up all the remaining stray cattle
that had not been claimed and to hire men to winter them for two dollars per
head. There were still several hundred
head of cattle on the plains that needed to be gathered to protect them from
the Omahas. The congregation sustained this proposal and the ten men were appointed.
Bishop
George Miller arrived from the Ponca village, about 150 miles up the Missouri
River. He reported that the camp was in
good health but there had been six deaths.
The Saints there were in good spirits and he reported that the farming
land was better than at Winter Quarters.
There were good rushes near their camp for wintering their cattle. The Indians had killed some of their cattle,
but the Ponca chief had severely whipped those who committed this crime. John Kay had gone with the Poncas on their
winter hunt, serving as a gunsmith.
Bishop Miller had returned with forty wagons, some to sell, and others
to haul provisions. He claimed that his
camp location would be the best launching point for a journey to the west, that
the road from there to Fort Laramie was flat and good. The meeting was dismissed.
Hosea
Stout wrote, "I think President Young some what doubted his [Bishop
Miller's] report, for he said that he had felt all the time to pray for
Miller's company, that they might be delivered from the violence of the Indians
and that he felt so yet."
In the
evening, a Council meeting was held at Daniel Cahoon's house. A committee was appointed to survey a
stockade for the city. President Young
also spoke at length on the policy of brethren settling together.
The
Council then went to Harrison Burgess' home to meet with George Miller and his
men. Bishop Miller reported that he
wanted to purchase provisions for his company, but didn't want his actions to
raise local prices. Brigham Young
counseled him to leave his teams near Winter Quarters and send a few traders
quietly to Missouri to sell his wagons. While they waited, his other men would
be employed to help build the mill.
Bishop Miller's men were asked not to go to Sarpy's Trading Post. There were many traders there from the
Missouri settlements who were waiting for the Pottawatomies to be paid by the
government for their lands. If these
traders learned that Miller wished to buy many provisions, word would quickly
be spread to the settlements and prices would rise. President Young wanted to have a long talk with Bishop Miller
about the policies that he was using at the Ponca camp. His company was trying to live with all
things in common.
As many of
the Saints were retiring for the evening, a cry of "fire" was heard
across the city. Lorenzo Dow Young
wrote, "I sprang out of bed and looked out and beheld Sister Ashby's
waggon cover all on fire and she with some of her children in bed in the
wagon. I ran to their relief, caught
hold of the cover that was in a flame and burned my hands very bad, but
succeeded in putting out the fire."
Sister Ashby also burned one of her hands so severely that she could not
use it for awhile.
Wilford
Woodruff was finally starting to recover from his accident of October 15.
He still could not even sit up in bed, but he was starting to feel
better.
Late into
the evening, members of the Twelve chatted with Orson Spencer, who was about to
leave for his mission to England. He
had been called to serve this mission many months ago. However, he had tragically lost his wife and
brother to sickness and death as they made the trek across Iowa. A letter of authorization was written,
appointing Elder Spencer to preside over the missions in Europe after he
arrived. Elias Smith had been called to
go to England with Elder Spencer, but he could not longer leave because of the
sickness of his mother and father.
Rhoda
Almira Lawrence, age one, died. She was
the daughter of John and Rhoda Sanford Lawrence. This was the second young daughter to die in the family in three
days. Hirum McCord, age one, also
died. He was the son of Alexander and
Syble McCord. Charles Parcket, age six
days also died. He was the son of
Charles and Achsah Parcket. A daughter,
Mary Ann Fullmer was born to John S. and Olive Smith Fullmer.40
The
company remained camped on the west side of Soap Creek, near present‑day
Unionville, Iowa. The day was warm,
with large clouds floating in the air.
Thomas Bullock's wife was very sick.
He wrote, "My Wife washing, altho' so very sick that she had to
leave the wash tub to vomit, and when spreading her clothes on the ground to
dry, had to lie full length on the prairie, and had to go and wash
again." A significant dispute
arose in the camp when a man came into the camp to trade corn for goods. Sister Savary offered six plates to Bishop
Joseph Knight to sell to the man. When
Brother Savary came back into camp, he became angry when he heard that they
were only being sold for forty‑eight cents. The sale was made but Brother Savary was very angry with the
brethren. At 10 p.m., a cry of
"fire" was heard. The prairie
was on fire and was threatening to destroy a fence and corn field of a local
citizen. Several men went to the
rescue. Soon, some rain fell which
helped to put out the fire. The farmer
gave the men a pumpkin to reward them for their help.
At
reveille, one company was not ready for roll call. Colonel Cooke asked the Sergeant Elijah Elmer for the
reason. He replied that it was not yet light
enough for him to call roll. Colonel
Cooke reduced the man in rank. Daniel Tyler wrote that the true reason Sergeant
Elmer was late, was that he stopped to lace up his shoes. He also added, "Sergeant Elmer, like
Pharaoh's butler, was subsequently restored to his office."
Colonel
Cooke assembled his officers and issued strict orders regarding the care,
feeding and herding of the animals.
Trumpet signals would be used morning and night to coordinate this
activity. Also included in this order
was: "The guard must hereafter be
kept more strictly at their post. When
the guard is stationed, death is the punishment awarded by law to a sentinel
who sleeps on his post in time of war, which now exists." Thomas Dunn wrote that even though Colonel
Cooke was more strict with the battalion than any of their former commanders,
he dispensed justice equally.
Before the
battalion broke camp, U.S. Army Captain Burgwin, stationed near Albuquerque
received a message from five or six American merchants asking for protection. They believed the Mexican General Armijo was
marching up to seize their property.
Colonel Cooke felt that they report might be true and advised Captain
Burgwin to go offer help.
During
their previous day's march, Colonel Cooke noticed a large herd of good mules in
a field. During the morning he sent men
back to try to exchange or buy mules from the owner. The men returned in the afternoon and reported that their offers
were treated with contempt. The
battalion marched on for about fifteen miles and camped near Isleta Pueblo on
sand without any wood nearby. The
citizens of Isleta brought in corn, apples, grapes, and other goods to try to
sell, but the prices were very high.
The Mexican women were delighted to see the Mormon women. William Coray wrote that they "would
crowd before us in such multitudes that I could hardly press my way
through. They would cry out: 'Mericany
Cairy Musins,' and give them apples."
John D.
Lee met Captain P.B. Thompson along the Santa Fe Trail. Captain Thompson was on his way to take
command of the Mormon Battalion by order of Washington, D.C. As Brother Lee and his companions were
hunting antelope, they saw this group heading toward them. Fearing that they might be hostile Indians,
the men drew their guns. But they soon
learned that the riders were soldiers.
Captain Thompson told Brother Lee what his orders were. Brother Lee indicated that the battalion
would probably accept his leadership if he pledged to fulfill the promises made
by the late Colonel James Allen.
The second
sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion continued their slow journey to
Pueblo. They met a settler from
Carolina who sold a dinner to Joel Terrell.
His dinner consisted of "bread, milk, and butter of the best
kind. I took 3 pints of
milk." He had only drank milk two
times since leaving Missouri.
Watson ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 426‑29; Brooks ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861,
206‑07; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah Historical Quarterly,
14:150; Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 3:94; Cooke, Exploring
Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 76‑7; Yurtinus, A Ram in the
Thicket, 109, 219‑21, 270; Tyler, A Concise History of the Mormon
Battalion, 179; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints
A meeting
was held in the morning, at which the brethren were organized to build a picket
in Winter Quarters. Lorenzo Dow Young
went to visit his brother Phinehas and discovered that his twenty-two‑year‑old
nephew, Brigham H. Young was very ill.
They felt he was dying. Late
into the night he seemed to revive and felt better.
In the
afternoon, Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball left Winter Quarters. They were taking some livestock up to the
rush bottoms, north of the Old Council Bluff ruins.
They later
returned and learned that Bishop Newel K. Whitney and Edwin D. Woolley had
returned from purchasing provisions in St. Louis. They reported that many dry goods had to be left in a store at
St. Joseph, Missouri, because the water on the Missouri River was too low to
bring them by boat. The salt and iron
were left about 50 miles down the river.
Teams were needed immediately to be sent for the goods. A meeting was planned for the morning to
raise volunteers.
George
Miller decided to go to Sarpy’s trading post, contrary to the counsel given by
Brigham Young.
William
Angus, age seventy-four, died. He was
the husband of Agness Angus.
A son,
Henry Quayle, was born to John and Catherine Quayle.
The
company remained camped at Soap Creek while Brother Meeks and Bishop Joseph
Knight were out trading. The brethren
in the camp were very busy making yokes, blacksmithing, and hunting. A load of pumpkins was distributed to the
camp from the commissary.
The
battalion took up their line of march at 8 a.m. During the day they passed through several villages. The road was difficult, taking them through
deep mud from irrigation canals. The
Quartermaster was sent to do some trading at Otero’s store at Valencia, but the
prices were outrageous. Otero mentioned
that he had lost about six thousand sheep to Indians. He also had two shepherds killed. Most of the men in the village had gone after the Navajos. Abner Blackburn wrote, “The Navajo Indians
are the inhabitants’ greatest dread.
They descend on them like the wolf on the fold and drive off herds of
stock, slay and capture.”
The day
was cool as the battalion marched about fourteen miles along the Rio
Grande. They camped near the village of
Los Chavez and had to use a cartload of wood for fuel. Some of the mules shoulders began to become
sore. Colonel Cooke called the officers
together and gave them a lecture on caring for the mules.
The valley
they were camped in was “thickly settled” by both Mexicans and Indians. William Coray wrote about the natives in the
area. “I perceive a striking difference
between the climate here and Illinois state.
This is much healthier, the inhabitants are robust and strong and could
doubtless endure more hardships than we could.
Most of them live on scrimpy allowance of food and clothing and see
nothing but hardships from the beginning.”
Thomas L.
Kane wrote to Brigham Young and apologized for his long silence in writing, but
explained that he had a relapse from the sickness that he had experienced while
visited with the Saints during the summer.
Despite this hindrance, he was seeking to get official permission for
the Saints to stay on Omaha Indian lands.
He mentioned that he obtained information in St. Louis that there was a
large company of Mormons near the upper waters of the Arkansas River. He wrote:
“I have no doubt to be that of Lyman Wight.”41
He closed
his letter with, “I would take a pleasure in saying many words of friendly
kindness personally to you, as well as through you to those by whom you are
surrounded, for so many of whom I have also a great regard. Discretion orders me to content myself,
however, with giving you a general commission to say for me to them, all which
you can believe I would wish to say; as well as credit me.”
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 429‑30, 470; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 206‑07; “Diary of
Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah Historical Quarterly, 14:150; “William Coray
Journal”; Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 77‑78;
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 219‑21; “The Journal of Robert S.
Bliss,” Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:75; Bagley, Frontiersman: Abner Blackburn’s Narrative, 44; “Thomas
Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints;
Bennett, Mormons at the Missouri, 1846‑1842, 107
At
sunrise, the brethren were called to a meeting at the stand. Thirty‑five teamsters volunteered to
go after the goods in St. Joseph, Missouri.
They met at Willard Richards’
tent with Bishop Newel K. Whitney.
Fifteen of the men would be ready to leave the following day, the rest
would leave on Thursday.
Willard
Richards visited Wilford Woodruff, who was getting better. He also visited Sister Jane Benbow, who was
very sick. Hosea Stout made
arrangements to send off his oxen and a wagon to the Des Moines River for
flour.
Lyman
Caleyham, age one, died. He was the son
of Thomas W. and Lucinda Caleyham.
At George
Miller’s camp, a son, James Erastus Glines, was born to James H. and Elizabeth
Myers Glines.42
A severe
frost fell during the night. The
company left Soap Creek at 10 a.m. and ascended a very steep hill. They traveled through a forest of oak
adorned with yellow, autumn leaves.
Then they passed over a prairie that was still smoking from a recent
fire. At sundown, after a journey of
fifteen miles, they camped near a spring and observed fish swimming in the
hole.
Luman
Shurtliff, leader of the relief team from Garden Grove, arrived at
Montrose. He wrote:
As I came
onto the highland, in sight of the river and once again saw our lovely city,
Nauvoo, I could not help weeping aloud with joy. Not that I wished my family living in Nauvoo, no, but thankful
that my life was spared to me that I might again behold the city of the
prophets. I turned from Montrose up the
river. I came to the camp of the poor,
sick and persecuted Saints. Many places
where there had been camps were now desolate and without inhabitants. In others, a ragged blanket or quilt laid
over a few sticks or brush comprised all the house a whole family owned on
earth.
Among the
occupants lay stretched on the ground either sick or dying, others perhaps a
little better off had a few boards laid up on something and had more sick than
well. Others not well ones, took care
of the sick. While looking about among
these poor helpless people, I was not a little surprised to hear them relate
the blessings of God in the deliverance from disease, death and starvation.
Brother
Shurtliff spent the first day in the camp learning of their circumstances and
trying to figure out who should be taken with his company. He decided to take the “poorest of the poor
and the sickest of the sick.”
The
battalion marched twelve miles in the cold rain. Snow could be seen falling in the Manzano Mountains. They passed through the village of Belen
with many cottonwoods. The church was
very large with steeples and bells. The
flat‑roofed houses were displayed with many large red peppers. Large herds of goats, sheep, and hogs could
be seen along the way. Henry Bigler
recorded, “We passed large flocks of sheep and goats herded by Mexicans dressed
in leather with blankets around their shoulders. They carried bows and arrows in their hands and had dogs by their
sides. Some had staffs on long sticks
with sharp spear points in the ends.
The sight was novel.”
The
battalion camped about two miles north of Bosque, New Mexico. There was hardly even a weed within two
miles of the camp, only dry grass.
Colonel Cooke had to send a cart to bring some wood for the
campfires. The mules were taken to an
old corn field to eat the broken fodder.
During
their travels, the soldiers would have to cross many tributaries and canals
from the Rio Grande. They were
sometimes waist-deep. The men were not
allowed to take their shoes off, or any clothes. James S. Brown explained:
An officer,
perched on his white mule on some point or eminence overlooking the whole
command, with a hawk’s eye for keen military experience, calls to this or that
squad of men, with a horrid oath, as if they were brutes; often he curses the
men until they long for a battle where perchance someone would remember the
tyrant with an ounce ball and three buckshot. . . . But, praise God, that
feeling quickly passed off as the men marched along, their clothes wet, and
their thick soled cowhide army shoes partly filled with sand.
The Sick
Detachment reached Cimarron. They had
passed two small salt lakes. Joel
Terrell wrote: “The one immediately on
our way seems to issue immediately out of the most splendid and furtile valley
I think I ever saw all around this lake where the water has left it white as
snow with salt.” Private Milton Smith
died and the next day was buried on the prairie.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 429‑30; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon
Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 207; Cooke, Exploring
Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 78‑9; Journal of Henry Standage
in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 180; Yurtinus, A Ram in
the Thicket, 222‑23, 271; Brown, Life of a Pioneer, 43‑4;
“Journal Extracts of Henry W. Bigler,” Utah Historical Quarterly, 5:2;
“Luman Shurtliff Autobiography,” typescript, BYU, 67; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp
Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints
Sixteen
teams crossed the river, starting their journey to St. Joseph, Missouri, to
retrieve goods. One of the wagons taken
was the one that had been used by Eliza R. Snow. She wrote:
The house
we move into, having been built of logs, with openings only partly chincked and
mudded--the wind cold and blustering, found plenty of crevices on the sides
through which to play; while the roof was shingled only on one side, with a
tent-cloth thrown over the other; and besides, it was minus a chimney, and when
a fire was kindled, the smoke so filled the house, that a breathing apparatus
was of little use, and the fire was put outside.”43
Willard
Richards visited the sick, including William Clayton. Elders Orson Spencer and Andrew Cahoon started for their mission
to England.
Orpha
Knights, age one, died of canker. He
was the son of Cornelius and Permelia Knights.
Mary Ann Simmonds, age thirty-six, died.
Luman
Shurtliff crossed over the river and went into Nauvoo. He later wrote:
I crossed
the river into Nauvoo, walked up through the thickest part of town, saw but few
inhabitants. I went to the temple and
took a view of the beautiful homes of the Saints, but are now a desolation. From here I walked to my former place of
residence, viewing the premises, shed a few tears over the grave of the partner
of my youth and mother of all my children, and bore my testimony that she was a
good woman and a kind wife and mother.
From here I walked east on Main Street to the east part of the city
where the last battle had been fought and viewed the destruction of the mobs
and the desolate, deserted village.
The
company met William Pickett, who was returning to Nauvoo with letters. He had left Winter Quarters one week
earlier. He told Thomas Bullock that
Elder Willard Richards was anxiously asking about him. The camp had heard about Brother Bullock’s
long illness. Later, the company met
three other wagons from Mount Pisgah, heading to the Mississippi. The Allen company pressed on, crossing an
immense prairie which had been burned.
After eighteen miles, they camped by moonlight in some woods.
It rained
all night and into the morning. The
battalion marched at 9 a.m. They had
great difficulty with the wagons, which became stuck in the sand and mud. Geese, ducks, cranes, and pelicans were seen
flying over the valley. The battalion
only traveled eight miles. They made
their camp one mile south of Sabinal, New Mexico. Colonel Cooke made arrangement to purchase 300 sheep and 14,500
pounds of beef which would complete what was needed for sixty days of
rations. He also purchased a cartload
of wood to help dry out the wet men.
During the night, several men sneaked out of camp and went into the
town.
Milton
Smith, a young man who had a fever, died in the morning. The soldiers made a bed of rushes for the
body before covering the gravesite.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 430; Cooke, Exploring Southwestern Trails
1846‑1854, 79‑80 Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 223‑24,
271; “Luman Shurtliff Autobiography,” typescript, BYU, 68; “Thomas Bullock Poor
Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of the Saints; Beecher, ed., The
Personal Writings of Eliza R. Snow, 24
Fourteen
additional teams started for St. Joseph, Missouri. Willard Richards worked on his house. Lorenzo Dow Young had a man put up the chimney on his house. George Miller sent word that his teams
should go to Trader’s Point, contrary to Brigham Young’s counsel. However, his men did not have money to pay
for the ferry and were not allowed to go on credit. Lyman Littlefield arrived in camp with mail from Bonaparte, Iowa.
In the
evening, the brethren of the Twelve and the High Council met together. It was reported that the ten herdsman who
were appointed to gather the stray cattle completed their assignment and were
driving about 150 cattle to the north.
The
Council also discussed the actions of Bishop George Miller. Bishop Miller had again ignored the counsel
of the brethren. He had gone to do
trading at Sarpy’s trading post, even after specifically told he should not do
trading there. Brigham Young was very
direct. He said that George Miller and
James Emmett had a delusive spirit and anyone that would follow them would end
up in hell. They would sacrifice the
people to get power. Bishop Miller’s
actions were raising the price of local grain which would cause the Saints in
Winter Quarters to suffer because of his actions, long after he returned to
Ponca. He prophesied that George Miller
and James Emmett would yet apostatize.44
The
company was delayed because of some missing cattle and did not start out until
10 a.m. Thomas Bullock described, “The
Country being all knolly and undulating, the prairie was burnt for scores of
miles and appears only one blackened mass.
In many places the burnt prairie is covered with the webs of Spiders
which has a pretty gauze like appearance.”
After twelve miles, they stopped at Wild Cat Grove where they found five
new log houses which had been recently built by some Saints. In the evening, a beef was cut up and
distributed to the camp. Captain Allen
called the camp together and issued some instructions.
Thomas and
Elizabeth Rhoads and family arrived in Sacramento. They were the first known Mormon pioneers to migrate overland to
California. They traveled in a wagon
train led by former Missouri Governor, Lilburn Boggs.45
The
battalion marched ten miles to La Joya.
The road was still wet and muddy.
They camped in a nice cottonwood grove, with plenty of fuel for the
first time since Santa Fe. Rumors were
flying around that General Kearny had been taken prisoner, but the men did not
believe it. Word came in the evening
that Lt. Smith had been able to purchase three hundred sheep.
James S.
Brown wrote:
One night,
while camped near the Rio Grande del Norte, we heard a great noise as though a
band of horses were crossing the river.
This created quite an alarm, as there had been rumors of Mexicans
revolting. For a short time it was
thought it was Mexican cavalry crossing to attack us by night, but on the
colonel making inquiries of the guides it was learned that the noise proceeded
from beaver playing in the river. After
watching and listening for a time, all settled down, contented that there was
no enemy at hand.
The
detachment passed through present‑day Raton, New Mexico, and camped in a
small valley at the foot of the mountains.
John
Brown, William Crosby, and others arrived back to their homes in Mississippi to
bring their families west. They had
been away for nearly seven months and had traveled all the way to Fort Laramie,
Pueblo, and back. During that time,
they had not heard a word from their families, but they were fine during their
long absence.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 431‑32; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah
Historical Quarterly, 14:150; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The
Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861, 207‑08; Cooke, Exploring
Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 80‑1; Cowan and Homer, California
Saints, 56; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints; Brown, Life of a Pioneer, 45
Brigham
Young spent the day, giving counsel to the brethren. In the afternoon he rode out into the country in his carriage.
In the
evening, President Young met with Heber C. Kimball and others to write some
letters. They wrote a letter to Brother
Joseph A. Stratton, the branch president of many Saints who had been gathering
in St. Louis, Missouri. Brethren in St.
Louis were asked to set their families in order with one to two years’
provisions, and then to go to Winter Quarters.
They shared with the brethren the current plans. “By next March, prepared with teams, plows
and seeds [a group will] go over the mountains and help to put in crops and
build houses, so that there might be crops raised that when we return and take
our families over the mountains we need not have so much provision to haul, and
that we may have some preparations for our families to come over the
mountains.”
They also
wrote letters of authority to Charles Chrisman and Bryan W. Nowlin to go to the
States on a mission to gather up young, strong men who could leave their
families and go over the mountains in the Spring.46
Melissa
Kelsey, age five, died. She was the
daughter of Stephen and Rachel Kelsey.
The
company arrived at the Chariton River.
They stopped to water the cattle and then ascended a very steep hill on
the other side. As Edward Gabbott’s
wagon ascended the hill, his wife, Sarah Rigby Gabbott, was trying to get into
the wagon. She grabbed onto a “churn
dasher” which broke off, causing her to fall against the oxen. This startled the animals, who started off
at a full run. Sister Gabbott fell to
the ground and was run over by the wagons.
She cried out, “Oh dear, I am dying.”
After five minutes she was dead. They made an early camp near at Little Pigeon Creek and prepared a
grave for Sister Gabbott.
A
daughter, Harriet Electa Hales, was born to George and Mary Ann Hales.47
Luman
Shurtliff’s teams arrived. He learned
that one of his men had shot one of the oxen by accident. As they were discussing how to replace the
ox, a steamboat landed at the river. A
man was sent to sell three‑quarters of the beef for money that could be
used to buy another ox. The other
quarter would be used to feed the sick.
The hide was sold for a barrel to put the rest of the meat in.
Governor
Thomas Ford arrived with two hundred troops in order to restore the peace in
Nauvoo (a few weeks too late.) The new
non‑Mormon citizens (who were being called “Jack‑Mormons”48) had pled with Governor Ford to
use his influence to allow them to return to their homes and retake their
possessions. When the anti‑Mormons
heard that the governor was on the way, they made threats that they would toss
both the Jack‑Mormons and the Governor across the river. This was an idle threat. The troops arrived and the Jack‑Mormons
returned to their homes.
Governor
Ford later wrote, “Very much to my astonishment I encountered a hostility and
bitterness of feeling from the Anti-Mormons which was truly surprising and
unlooked for.” He reported that the
Anti-Mormon just couldn’t believe anyone would come into their county to see
that the laws were executed there, that their judgments had been clouded by mob
rule for so long.
The
battalion started their march early.
They had to ascend a steep sand bluff, about four hundred yards, which
took them two hours to climb. These
sand dunes of Loma Blanca ran from the bank of the Rio Grande westward toward
Sierra Ladrones, which formed an obstacle to those traveling to the south. The teams needed to be doubled and also
twenty men needed to help haul each wagon.
Daniel Tyler wrote: “We had to
leave the river for a time, and have twenty men to each wagon with long ropes
to help the teams pull the wagons over the sand hills. The commander perched himself on one of the
hills, like a hawk on a fence post, sending down his orders with the sharpness
of‑‑well, to the Battalion, it is enough to say ‑‑
Colonel Cooke.”
They
marched along the grassy bottom near present‑day San Acacia where they
had to cross an immense canal. The men
had to dig a road in the banks in order to cross it. After a twelve-mile march, their camp was established in a valley
where the grass was good, south of Polvadera.
Mexicans entered the camp in the evening to trade.
Christopher
Layton wrote of their hunger as they marched:
We were
ready to eat anything that would furnish any nourishment; the rations issued to
us did not satisfy the cravings of hunger.
When one of the fat cattle was slaughtered for beef, the Colonel gave
positive orders that no more of them should be killed as we needed them for
work; only those that were unable to work from sheer exhaustion and weakness
could be used for beef, and from that time the carcasses were issued as
rations. Nothing was wasted that could
possibly be utilized for food: even
hides, tripe and entrails, all were eagerly devoured, sometimes without even
water to wash it down. The marrow bones
were considered a luxury, and rich indeed would be the dinner of the mess whose
turn it was to receive them.
Levi
Hancock wrote a song that the men would sing, entitled: “The Desert Route.”
While here,
beneath a sultry sky,
Our
famished mules and cattle die;
Scarce
aught but skin and bones remain
To feed
poor soldiers on the plain
Chorus:
How hard,
to starve and wear us out,
Upon this
sandy, desert route.
We
sometimes now for lack of bread,
Are less
than quarter rations fed,
And soon
expect, for all of meat,
Naught less
than broke‑down mules, to eat.
Now, half‑starved
oxen, over‑drilled,
Too weak to
draw, for beef are killed;
And gnawing
hunger prompting men
To eat
small entrails and the skin.
Sometimes
we quarter for the day,
While men
are sent ten miles away
On our back
track, to place in store
An ox,
given out the day before.
And when an
ox is like to die,
The whole
camp halts, and we lay by:
The greedy
wolves and buzzards stay,
Expecting
rations for the day.
Our
hardships reach their rough extremes,
When valiant
men are roped with teams,
Hour after
hour, and day by day,
To wear our
strength and lives away.
The teams
can hardly drag their loads
Along the
hilly sandy roads,
While
trav’ling near the Rio Grand,
O’er hills
and dales of heated sand.
We see some
twenty men, or more,
With empty
stomachs, and foot‑sore,
Bound to
one wagon, plodding on
Thro’ sand,
beneath a burning sun.
Some stand
the journey well, and some
Are by the
hardships overcome;
And thus
the “Mormons” are worn out
Upon this
long and weary route.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 434, 448‑49; Cooke, Exploring
Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 81‑2; Tyler, A Concise
History of the Mormon Battalion, 181‑83; Yurtinus, A Ram in the
Thicket, 225‑26; Talbot, A Historical Guide to the Mormon
Battalion and Butterfield Trail, 29; “Luman Shurtliff Autobiography,
typescript,” 68; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer
Camp of the Saints; Roberts, Comprehensive
History of the Church, 2:322; Hallwas and Launius, Cultures in Conflict,
346
Heber C.
Kimball sent about one hundred head of cattle north to the rushes. Brigham Young helped Willard Richards raise
the frame of his octagon house. Lorenzo
Dow Young finished his chimney and moved into his house.
Elizabeth
Sprague, age three weeks, died. She was
the daughter of George and Sarah Sprague.
Luman
Shurtliff’s company loaded up and started heading west. His teamsters took about sixty of the poor
and sick. He wrote:
All the
provisions put together would have made only one good meal and we were now
about to start . . . with this poor sick company on a journey of 170 miles
through an uncivilized and mostly uninhabited wilderness. I felt like crying, ‘O, God, help us’ as we
left. I looked back and saw a few
weeping Saints left behind; how to live through the winter I knew not, but God
knew. The first night 9 in camp our
souls actually rejoiced like the children of Israel after their deliverance
from the Egyptians.
Sister
Sarah Rigby Gabbott was laid to rest by Little Pigeon Creek. The company moved on and had to travel up
the steepest hill that they had thus far encountered. The prairie was seen on fire as they traveled. Thomas Bullock wrote: “At one time had a fine view of the flames
rolling over and over again and leaping high in the air as if conscious of its
power, and sweeping the dry grass into oblivion, leaving nothing but its black
track for a remembrance.” After ten
miles, they camped at White Oak Spring.
The day
was cold for the battalion’s march of thirteen miles. They had to cross a portion of the river to get around a
bluff. The water was quite high and
many men had to get in the cold water for a long time, helping the teams get
wagons across. James S. Brown
wrote:
The stream
had to be crossed twice within quarter of a mile. There were very heavy quicksands, and if the teams were allowed
to stop one minute it was doubtful whether they could start again; consequently
the precaution of having men close at hand was very important, though the
average soldier did not understand the real reason for forcing him into the
water without stripping off at least part of his raiment. The crossing was made early in the day, and
the water was very cold, as I had ample evidence, being one of those detailed
to attend the wagons. Our comrades took
our muskets over the point while we lifted at the wagons. As the water was waist deep, when the men
would stoop to lift it would wet our clothing very nearly to the armpits; our
shoes also were filled with sand.
After six
wagons had difficulty, Colonel Cooke ordered the rest of the men over a steep
hill. James S. Brown continued, “Wet
and cold, almost chilled, we continued our march through deep sands, pushing
and pulling at the wagons till our clothing dried on our bodies, our shoes became
so dry and hard that walking was very painful and difficult, and our feet
became raw.” They then marched through
Socorro, which was the largest town visited since Santa Fe. They camped three miles to the south, near
some old ruins. Captain Cooke wrote
about their campsite, “There is more variety and beauty in the scenery; the
broken bluffs and mountains hem in the river more closely, and there is more
woods. I am encamped on the border of a
forest.”
The march
was taking its toll on the oxen. During
the past two days’ march, ten oxen had to be left behind. After supper, Colonel Cooke mustered and
inspected the entire battalion.
Captain
P.B. Thompson reached Santa Fe and learned that the Mormon Battalion had
already left under the command of Colonel Cooke. Captain Thompson had been given orders from Washington D.C. to
take over the command of the battalion, but evidently he received new orders
when he arrived in Santa Fe from General Doniphan. Colonel Cooke outranked Captain Thompson.
Orson
Hyde, presiding over the British Mission, received a letter from Elder Wheelock
in Birmingham reporting that Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses, was in
England as a missionary for the Strangite Church. He had come to a Church conference in Birmingham and asked if he
could speak at the conference. After
being rejected by “the united voice of the conference,” he went out into the
street and began to preach against the Twelve Apostles. He was promptly led away by two policemen.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 434‑35; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah
Historical Quarterly, 14:150; Philip St. George Cooke, Exploring
Southwestern Trails 1846‑1854, 82‑3; Yurtinus, A Ram in the
Thicket, 226‑27, 110; “Luman Shurtliff Autobiography,” typescript,
BYU, 68; “Thomas Bullock Poor Camp Journal” in Bagley, ed., Pioneer Camp of
the Saints; Brown, Life of a Pioneer, 45‑6; Orson Hyde,
“Notices,” Millennial Star 8 (15 Nov 1846):128
1Mary would later die on August
1, 1847 at Winter Quarters.
2The Clark family later settled
in Millville, Utah.
3Point of Rocks is a southern
portion of the Teton Range in southern Colfax County, New Mexico.
4Robert Pixton was away with the
Mormon Battalion. He would later serve a
mission to England in 1862-66 and settled in Leeds, Utah.
5This was near present‑day
Wooton, New Mexico.
6This rumor proved to be false
7This creek is now called Mora
River, and is near present‑day Watrous, New Mexico.
8William Ewell was away in the
Mormon Battalion.
9In reality, Joseph Heywood had
already returned to Nauvoo by this time.
See October 2, 1846.
10Little Charlotte would die the
following month. The Cole family would
later settle in Willard, Utah.
11Their route followed present‑day
highway 85 in New Mexico.
12Ephriam would die in Winter
Quarters on July 31, 1847.
13The Holman family later settled
in Santaquin, Utah.
14In 1841, a Texan force under
General McLeod was captured at San Miguel by Mexican troops.
15The Pitt family later settled
in Salt Lake City, Utah.
16The Miller family later settled
in American Fork, Utah.
17This journey would take fifty
days and only one or two deaths were experienced in the company.
18The Wilson family would later
settle in Ogden, Utah.
19Newman Bulkley was away serving
in the Mormon Battalion. The Bulkley
family later settled in Springville Utah.
He cut thousands of feet of lumber in the “slide” above Springville, for
the first houses in that town.
20Colonel Cooke was a graduate of
West Point and had served most of his military career on the Great Plains
frontier. He had recently led the Army
of the West’s advance guard to take Santa Fe without bloodshed. General Kearny had a deep respect for
Colonel Cooke’s abilities and knew that the battalion would need a strict
disciplinarian.
21Elder Kimball was constructing
the largest home in Winter Quarters for his extensive family. When finished, it would have four ground‑level
rooms, two rooms upstairs, and many windows for light. The majority of the homes under construction
were much smaller houses, about 12‑18 feet long, with sod roofs, sod
chimneys, and no floors. Later, the
floors would be covered with canvas or carpeting as the weather became stormy.
22Amanda’s father, Amos Philemon
Rogers had earlier died on June 26, 1846 in Mount Pisgah.
23Joseph Armstrong later settled
in Cedar City and Enoch, Utah.
24A festive Mexican dance.
25The explorers would travel
about two hundred miles to the west and then return after a six week journey
without reaching Fort Laramie.
26Elder Woodruff would entirely
recovered from this serious accident.
27Today this site is referred to
as the “Grand encampment.” It was the
site where the Mormon Battalion was raised.
28Caroline would die six days
later.
29Emma left Nauvoo a month
earlier and relocated to Fulton, Illinois.
30This request apparently was
never granted.
31Gustavus Hills was a watchmaker
and served as an associate justice at a trial involving Joseph Smith in Nauvoo.
32Thomas Hall joined the Church
in 1840, in England. He later settled
in Salt Lake City, Utah, Las Vegas, Nevada, Wellsville, Utah and then sent to
St. George, Utah. He served a mission
in Canada. Their son Thomas was a
rancher in St. George.
33Sophia Tubbs would later join
the other Saints in Pueblo. She was
part of the third sick detachment.
34Little David died in Winter
Quarters on November 9, 1846
35Reuben Miller would later go to
Utah in 1849. He served as the bishop
in Mill Creek for the rest of his life.
He served as county commissioner for many years and helped plan the
roads around Salt Lake City.
36Little Richard Lyman would die
in Winter Quarters on August 4, 1847.
37They followed the sandy bed for
eight miles and left the river near today’s Galisteo Dam. From Galisteo, they marched over flat land
crossing present‑day route 85 at the Mormon Battalion marker.
38Dimick Huntington would arrive
in Utah on July 28, 1847. He served as
a missionary to the Indians for many years.
He was an early settler of Provo, Utah.
39The house would serve as an
office and a private residence. It
would have a sloping roof of puncheon logs that reached to a window, at the
center of the raised ceiling, providing daylight. The roof would be covered with straw and forty‑five loads
of earth (see Bennett).
40John S. Fullmer was one of the
Nauvoo Trustees.
41He was mistaken. Lyman Wight
was in Texas. This group would have
been the Mississippi Saints, along with the first sick detachment of the Mormon
Battalion
42James Harvey Glines was away in
the Mormon Battalion. He was traveling
with the second sick detachment led by James Brown. Later he organized the first water company in Utah County.
43Later in November, a chimney
would be built onto the house and the logs would be chinked to keep out the
cold.
44They both did.
45Thomas Rhoads, an ordained
elder had remained in Missouri after the exodus of the Saints in 1839. On hearing that the Saints were leaving
Nauvoo, he gathered his family to travel to California where they hoped to join
the main body of the Church. The Rhoads
family settled east of Sutter’s Fort near Dry Creek and Consumnes River.
46These missionaries would go to
Mississippi and inform John Brown who recently returned from Pueblo, to leave
his family in Mississippi, and go to Winter Quarters to prepare for the
expedition in the spring.
47The Hales family later settled
in Beaver, Utah. George Hales was one
of the earliest workers in the Deseret News printing office at Richfield, Utah.
48Thomas C. Sharp, a notorious
anti‑Mormon, is credited with inventing the term “Jack‑Mormon”
about 1844. He was the editor of the
Warsaw Signal during the Nauvoo period.
B.H. Roberts wrote that he “coined the phrase ‘Jack‑Mormon,’ an
opprobrious epithet applied to such non‑’Mormons’ of Illinois who did not
favor the illegal procedure and mob violence of Sharp and his associates
against the ‘Mormons.’” Later in Utah, the term evolved into a reference to
“inactive” Mormons who were friendly to the Church and lived many of its
teachings.