27. PIONEERS REACH FORT LARAMIE,--JUNE 2, 1847…

27. PIONEERS REACH FORT LARAMIE,--JUNE 2, 1847

In the Redman's Country.--Indian Customs.--Hunting Became Excessive.--Description of the Bluffs.--Guide Board 409 Miles From Winter Quarters.--Chimney Rock.--Brigham Young Rebukes Card Playing and Frivolity.--Fasting and Prayer.--Arrive at Fort Laramie.--Ascending the Plateaux.--Word From the Mormon Battalion.

About the 11th of May, the pioneers found themselves in the heart of the Indians' country. The red man would naturally take some alarm at the approach of so numerous a body of men, and his presence along the route was indicated, as a rule, by the camping ground which had been deserted at the approach of the white man. Here and there solitary Indians were observed, and occasionally a small number approached the camp. The Sioux were a somewhat treacherous, warlike tribe; and following the habits of the Indian, some of their tribe would follow the pioneers for days, remaining concealed in daylight, hoping for opportunities to steal horses and cattle by night. Fortunately the pioneers adopted the most precautionary methods of guarding against the loss of their horses and cattle.

The Indians were not without some knowledge of the retreat of their ancestors before the western movement which was going on rapidly in those days. Their viewpoint therefore justifies both the fear and the dislike of the white man. The pioneers, realizing the attitude of the Indian, did all in their power to assure him of their friendship, but it was not easy on a journey such as that to cultivate any particular acquaintance. Elder Woodruff's journal shows the remarkable interest that he took in whatever related to the customs and manners of the Indians.

Speaking of the Sioux, he says: "We found ourselves traveling over their hunting grounds. Some eight or ten days prior to our encampment on the 11th of May, there had been a large band of some 500 to 1,000 located at one place. They had taken the brains out of a large buffalo. Generally they took the hide and some of the meat, and sometimes they broke the bones for the {284} marrow. In one place we found a hundred calves with nothing taken except the tongues, the legs to the knees, and the entrails. In another place thirty-five buffalo calves were found dead where they had been washed up in heaps in their unsuccessful effort to cross the river. On one of the bluffs, I found a medicine bag tied to a stick six feet long, the stick having been stuck into the bank. I also found a saddle tied to a large buffalo for the purpose, I supposed, of showing the next party of Indians which direction the buffaloes had gone.

"Wishing to explore the country somewhat, I left my horse to feed in the valley while I went on to an elevated bluff. While gone, the horse started off, and not seeing the camp, took an opposite direction and I was compelled to run after him. In doing this, I ran through a great camping ground of the Sioux where lodges had been on their hunting expeditions. Here I left my gun and followed my horse until I overtook him. On my return I examined the ground more minutely and estimated that there had been something like 500 lodges. There were acres of ground covered with buffalo wool where they had dressed the skins of buffaloes and wolves, etc. I brought in a good dressed white wolf skin with me. The day following, many of the brethren went out and brought in parts of robes, leather, etc., which had been left. The next day, the pioneers made a journey of eleven miles. The bluffs, for the first time on the journey along the north fork, came boldly up to the river front so that we were obliged to go over these bluffs with our wagons.

"There is one thing concerning the Platte River worthy of note. It is much of the way a mile in width, generally covered with water, but very shallow. When the south wind blows hard, the water all rushes to the north shore so that one would suppose that there was a great rise in the tide. When the wind shifts to the north, the water immediately recedes from the north shore until one can walk across two-thirds of the river on bare ground. Thus the river constantly ebbs and flows like a tide.

"Early on the morning of the 14th, I went out to hunt buffaloes and returned to breakfast and started out again with Phineas Young. I was lost among the bluffs, but after a time, found my way out again. Brother Phineas shot a buck antelope which I carried into camp. All told, three antelopes and one {285} buffalo were killed. Some of the hunters thought they heard Indian guns during the night on the opposite side of the river. An Indian had gone up to a pair of mules that were tied together and grabbed at them, but the mules sprang back and got out of the way. One of the guards shot at him and he ran. All the horses were then brought into the circle of our camp and the cannon prepared, but no Indian being seen, it was not fired."

Such a large company would naturally be conspicuous to the Indians, and no doubt the sound of music in those solitary regions attracted them, as the camp was often animated in the evening by the sounds of music from all parts. On the morning of the 15th, bear foot tracks were seen in large numbers. That day the distance covered was only eight miles. This short distance was due in part to the difficulty encountered in crossing over the numerous bluffs along the river. In those regions there was nothing to break the cold, raw winds that came from the north. Civilization had not then set up its wind breaks, and the winds made the climate often quite disagreeable away into the month of May.

"Sunday, the 16th of May," he says, "was cold. With Brothers Young, Kimball, Benson, Rockwell, and Stephens, I rode four miles over the bluffs to pick out a road for the pioneers that they might again get on to the bottom land. We had a good meeting in the afternoon and the laws of the camp were read. One of the brethren had shot an antelope and a buffalo. It was a violation of the camp to go hunting on the Sabbath. The 17th was warm and pleasant, but the road was difficult. For two and a half miles we drove through sand bluffs and again struck the bottom land four and a half miles from the camping place. The hunters brought in three buffaloes which detained the camp for some time. President Young was not pleased with the excessive hunting, as they already had much meat in the camp. Large herds of deer were seen in the valley, more than had been seen before. A young fawn was picked up and brought into camp. I led the company of pioneers mostly through the bluffs in the morning before Brothers Young and Kimball came up. Upon their arrival, we rode together all day picking out the road.

"The next day the camp was called together and President Young reproved sharply the hunters for killing more game than {286} was necessary, for detaining the camp, and because of their indifference in helping to pick out the road. He said there were but two men who had manifested any interest in helping to get the pioneers along. Afterward the horsemen went forward to pick out the road instead of hunting, and I did not hear a gun fired during the day."

The spring was well advanced and rain began to take the place of wind. Elder Woodruff in his journal entry of May 19th says: "We encountered today the worst sandhill on the journey; and what made it worse, the rain was pouring down continuously. We had more rain today than during the whole journey. I rode forward during the day, picking out the road. We made eight miles.

"Next morning we made seven miles and nooned near Ash Creek, on the south side of the river where the Oregon road first strikes the north fork of the Platte. Several of the brethren went over in the boat, which we were taking along, to examine the rocky bluffs, roads, creek, etc.

"In the afternoon, we traveled eight and three-quarters miles and camped for the night. We had a very good road most of the day on the bank of the river. There was a good deal of rocky bluff on both sides of the river, and some on the south side was formed into natural terraces, rotundas, squares, etc., from fifty to a hundred feet high and looked like good foundations for fortifications and strong-holds. They resemble the works of art and look something like the old castles of England and Scotland. They were level on the top. There is a beautiful Cedar Island in the river a short distance above Ash Creek which is a good landmark to show travelers where the Oregon road strikes the river."

Near by the nooning place was a cedar tree in the branches of which an Indian child was deposited for burial. Along with it were utensils necessary for its future enjoyment.

On the 21st a large petrified bone was found. It was the leg bone from the knee down. Its length was seventeen and a half inches, greatest width eleven inches, greatest thickness six inches, its weight was twenty-seven pounds.

"Before we left the encampment in the morning, Brother Clayton put up a guide board for the benefit of the next company. {287} 'From Winter Quarters, 409 miles; from the Junction 93 1/4 miles; Cedar Bluff 36 1/2; Ash Creek 8 miles and 133 from Fort Laramie.' When we reached our camping place for the night, two Indians came up from the bluffs, making signs for us to come to them. It was a Sioux Indian and his squaw. They talked by signs and went away.

"Our road on the journey the day following was very straight, but we came over two and a half miles of the worst sand hill that we had passed. The bluffs presented the most singular natural scenery I had ever beheld in all my travels. They had the appearance of the old walls and ruins of the castles of Europe.

"The next day was Sunday the 23rd. In company with Brigham Young and the Twelve, I visited the top of the highest bluff ruins that were opposite our encampment, which were truly a curiosity. We had a fair view of Chimney Rock from where we were. I carried a bleached buffalo's head on the top and we wrote upon it our names and the distance from several places. Orson Pratt took a barometrical observation on the solitary cedar tree on the top of the bluff ruins.

"The camp met at half past eleven in the morning for Sabbath services. Erastus Snow addressed the meeting, followed by President Young who said he was satisfied that the Lord was with us and leading us. He had never seen a company of people more united than the camp had been thus far on the journey, that we should pluck the fruit of the mission through all eternity, that he had many things to teach us but could not do it except in a stake of Zion, but he was well satisfied with his brethren and the Twelve, and the camp at large. One thing he would say to the praise of the company and that was that not one had refused to obey his counsel on the journey. His peace with God was continually like a river, and he felt that the spirit of peace rested upon the whole company. Several others spoke and the meeting was then dismissed.

"We intended to ride out in the evening, but saw that a storm was gathering. It began to blow very hard and it was all we could do to save our wagon bows and covers from being destroyed. It continued for about an hour and then rained for another hour accompanied by hail. I covered all my horses with all the blankets I could get, and got up several times in the night to see them. It {288} rained occasionally and the horses shook with cold, but when morning came all were alive and we continued our journey.

"As soon as we camped at noon, two Indians came to the camp. They were Sioux and well dressed and clean. We gave them dinner and they left. We camped at night near the Quicksand Mountain, making sixteen and one half miles that day. I rode about two miles forward to find grass and a camping ground, and on my return saw about thirty Sioux plunge their horses into the river on the opposite side and made towards us. I rode with several others to the river and met them as they came out. They shook hands with us very friendly. The chief unfurled a large American flag with the eagle, stars, and stripes and presented me a letter written in French which we, however, made out. They were all well dressed and the chief was in a military coat. The brethren brought a white flag and planted it by the side of theirs. They wanted to go into camp. We proposed for five of them to go and the rest to remain, but they all wished to go, so we let them and gave them supper. They were in camp all night, but were good and stole nothing.

"Some trading was done with the Sioux next morning and we gave them breakfast. They behaved well also when we started across the river. I had to keep my carriage today having the rheumatism in my shoulders and back, and my teeth ached.

"We nooned next day, Tuesday, May 25th, in good grass two miles above Chimney Rock; and I rode with Brothers Kimball and Benson to look out a road. By our imperfect measurement by a trigonometrical observation by the sextant, Professor Pratt made Chimney Rock to be two hundred and sixty feet above the level of the river.

"Just before camping at noon while traveling on a smooth prairie, an Indian horse that was bought of the Sioux ran away with a singletree at his heels and gave tremendous fright to the cows, oxen and horses. In an instant a dozen or more wagons were darting by each other like lightning and the horses and mules dashing over the ground, some turning to the right and some to the left and some ran into other wagons. The horses and mules that Brother Fowler was driving leaped by my carriage like electricity and came within one inch of a collision with my wheels which would have made a wreck. Another wagon with a pair {289} of mules and a yoke of cattle dashed by which would also have smashed my carriage had they locked. By this time, my own horses started to run, but were held back by the driver. Fowler's wagon continued regardless of rough or smooth ground about fifty rods, he being dragged the whole distance by the bit which was the case with many others; but all were soon stopped and returned to their lines without accident which appeared truly a miracle. A person can hardly conceive the power manifested by animals, especially mules, in such a fright. It gave us some idea of what an Indian yell would do in a camp with teams hitched to wagons.

"Brother Kimball and myself picked the road during our journey of the following morning, and in the afternoon I piloted as straight as any road yet made on the whole route, and picked out a camping ground on the bank of the river in good feed. It should be understood that we were pioneering a road for the whole House of Israel to travel over for many years to come and it required, therefore, the greatest care in marking the route.

"A cold rainy morning followed and we concluded not to start until the rain stopped. We remained till 10 o'clock and traveled eleven and one-half miles and camped for the night. During the evening, President Young called at my fire, and seeing several brethren playing dominoes in a wagon near by, he began to teach, saying that the devil was getting power over the camp which had for several days given way to cards and dominoes, etc., and that if they did not speedily repent, their works, labors, and journey would be in vain. He said that to be sure the camp did not quarrel, for the devil would not set them at that as long as he could draw them gradually away from their duty and fill them with nonsense and folly, for the devil was very cunning in winning away the people of God. I felt the force of his remarks.

"During the evening I went into Dr. Richards' wagon and read a chapter in the Book of Mormon and prayed with him, after which President Young, H. C. Kimball, Willard Richards, E. T. Benson, and myself met in council in Brother Brigham's wagon. President Young wrote some of the words of the Lord concerning the camp and expressed his views and feelings--that they must speedily repent or they would be cursed, that they were forgetting their mission, and that he would rather travel {290} with ten righteous men who would keep the commandments of the Lord than the whole camp while in a careless manner and forgetting God. We stayed together until ten o'clock.

"Next morning President Young called the camp together and required each captain separately to call out his men and when all were present, except two who had gone out hunting, he addressed them in something like the following words:

'I think I will take as my text to preach my sermon from, I am about to revolt from traveling with this camp any further with the spirit they now possess. I had rather risk myself among the savages with ten men who are men of faith, men of mighty prayer, men of God, than to be with the whole camp when they forget the Lord and turn their hearts to folly and wickedness. Yes, I would rather be alone and I am now resolved not to go any farther with the camp unless you will consent to humble yourselves before the Lord and serve Him and cease your folly and wickedness. For a week past, nearly the whole camp has been card playing, and checkers and dominoes have occupied the attention of the brethren, and dancing has been going on continually.

'Now it is time to quit it. There have been trials and lawsuits upon every nonsensical thing; and if this is suffered to go on, it will be but a short time before you are fighting, knocking each other down and taking life. It is time it was stopped.

'I do not want to hear any more such reports as I heard last Sunday of men going to meeting and preaching to the rest after playing cards until meeting time. You are a pretty set of men going to look out a location among the mountains for a resting place for the Saints--even the whole Church of God--who have been driven out from the Gentiles and rejected of them. And after you have established a location, you are then going out to preach the Gospel, seal salvation upon the house of Israel, and gather the nations.

'How would you look if they should know your conduct and ask you what you did when you went to seek out Zion and find a resting place for the Saints where the standard of the Kingdom of God could be reared and her banners unfurled for the nations to gather unto?

'Did you spend a good deal of your time in dancing, pitching {291} quoits, jumping, wrestling, and the like? Yes, yes. Did you play cards, dice, checkers, and dominoes? O, yes. What could you do with yourselves? Why you would shrink from the glance of the eyes of God, angels and men--even wicked men. Then are you not ashamed of yourselves for practicing these things? Yes, you are, and you must quit it.'

"After speaking somewhat lengthily upon these matters, President Young called the Twelve together, and the high priests, seventies, and elders. There were present eight of the quorum of the Twelve, eighteen high priests, eighty seventies, and eight elders. After this was done, President Young said unto the Twelve:

'If you are willing to humble yourselves before the Lord and consent to the right, and walk humbly before Him, make it manifest by raising the right hand.'

"Then each one raised his hand. The same question was put to the high priests, seventies, elders, and members and all consented with uplifted hands to humble themselves before the Lord, repent of their sins and keep His commandments.

"President Young then spoke of those who were not in the Church, as there were some present. They would be protected in their rights, but they must not introduce wickedness into the camp, for it would not be suffered. He also spoke of the standard and ensign that would be reared in Zion.

"Elder Kimball followed and said that the words of President Young were as the words of the Lord unto him and just as binding as though they were a written revelation, and that they were just as binding upon the whole camp as they were upon him, and he urged the pioneers to give heed to the teachings that had been given.

"Orson Pratt remarked that if the Saints had leisure hours, they could spend them to much better advantage than playing cards, as there was a world of knowledge and science to be obtained and every moment should be improved in storing the mind with some good principle. He acknowledged the teachings we had received to be of the Lord."

Elder Woodruff said: "A burned child dreads the fire. He had not forgotten his journey in the Camp of Zion in 1834; and should he live to the age of Methuselah, he should not forget the {292} hour when the Prophet and Seer, Joseph Smith, stood upon the wagon wheel and addressed that Camp and said that because they had not hearkened unto his counsel, but disobeyed and transgressed from time to time, judgment would come and that we should be visited by the destroying angel. And so we were, and more than twenty of our members fell by the stroke and we all suffered much in our feelings. I pray the Lord I may not see another such time; and I would now advise my brethren to be careful in keeping the covenant we have made lest the word of the Lord come unto us as in the days of Joseph and we cannot escape a judgment. I would advise all the brethren who have cards and the like to burn them, for if you keep the covenants you have made, you will have no time to use them; and if you keep them for your children, they will only prove a curse to them. My prayer to God is that we may all be enabled to keep our covenants with the Lord and each other. I rejoice that the watchmen in our midst are quick to comprehend and warn of evil and reprove us when wrong that we may be saved and do the will of God."

The change in the camp it would appear was quite as sudden as a gust of wind. It was only a short time before this that the pioneers were commended for their zeal and unity. The dangers of self-satisfaction were here demonstrated. Dancing, card playing, and a hilarious life were not in consonance with the solemn mission of that band of pioneers whose journey was to be likened in years to come to the exodus of the children of Israel. That journey was to be an inspiration to generations that would follow. The Sabbath following, May 30th, was set apart for prayer and fasting.

"In the morning I shaved, cleansed my body, put on clean clothing, etc., read a chapter in the Book of Mormon, humbled myself before the Lord, and poured out my soul in prayer before Him, and His spirit descended upon me and I was blessed and prepared for the service of the day. Then I spent some time in writing in my journal.

"The camp had a prayer meeting in the morning and met again for public meeting. President Young, with the Quorum of the Twelve and a few others went into a valley of the hills and prayed according to the order of the priesthood. Porter Rockwell and Brother Carrington watched to see that no Indians came {293} upon us. We had a good time. A heavy shower appeared, but most of it went around us and there was but little rain where we were.

"We returned to our wagons, took some refreshments, having eaten nothing all day; and soon the sun came out pleasantly. In the evening I went out two miles with the Quorum of the Twelve on to a high bluff. We had a good view of the Black Hills. There we also engaged in prayer.

"Two days afterward we camped opposite Fort Laramie. This was June 1st. When we arrived, we saw some men approaching us from the Fort. We found them to be a part of the company of Mississippi brethren who had been in Pueblo through the winter. Brother Crow and his family, seven wagons and fourteen mules were at Fort Laramie. He informed us that the remainder of the Mississippi company with a portion of the Mormon Battalion at Pueblo would start for Laramie about the 1st of June and follow our trail. He told us of four of the brethren who had died, but he had heard nothing of the main body of the Battalion.

"President Young suggested the propriety of our leaving all our ploughs at the Fort except such as we needed to use immediately when we got to our destination, and also to do our blacksmithing, mending of wagons as soon as possible so that we might go on our journey speedily. A company was appointed to attend to the herding and other branches of business.

"June the 2nd, in company with the Twelve and others, I crossed the river to visit the Fort. We examined Fort St. John which was now vacant, but was still standing. The dimensions of this Fort were 144 by 152 outside, and inside contained sixteen rooms. The largest on the north side was 93 feet long and 47 feet wide. The Oregon trail ran one rod from the S. W. corner of the Fort.

"We next visited Fort Laramie, then occupied by thirty-nine persons, mostly French who had married the Sioux. Mr. Burdoe was the superintendent. This Fort was 168 by 116 feet outside with six rooms inside. It was quite a pleasant location for a Fort.

"Mr. Burdoe was a Frenchman. He received us kindly and invited us into a large sitting room. He gave us all the information {294} he could in relation to our route and furnished us with his flat bottom boat on reasonable terms to assist us in ferrying the Platte. He informed us that Governor Boggs and his men had much to say against the Mormons and cautioned him to take care of his horses and cattle, etc., lest they should steal them. He tried to prejudice him all he could against us. Burdoe said that Boggs' company were quarreling all the time, and most of them had deserted him. He finally told Boggs and company that let the Mormons be what they might, they could not be worse than he and his men.

"After conversing with Mr. Burdoe some time we got into the flat bottom boat, about twenty of us, and went down the Laramie Fork to its mouth about two miles and then up the Platte one-half mile to our camp. After dinner we met in council and decided that Amasa Lyman should go to Pueblo with several other brethren to meet the detachment of the Battalion that was there, and for them to come as soon as convenient to Laramie and follow our trail."

The pioneer company now found it necessary to cross the north fork of the Platte, just opposite Fort Laramie, the first permanent post erected in Wyoming. The low even country of Nebraska had been passed, and hereafter the company began its journey in Wyoming. They now found themselves ascending the great eastern plateau of the Rocky Mountain system. Thence forward there began a gradual ascent to the Rocky Mountains in which they hoped to find a safe retreat. The Fort was a trading post in the center of Indian commerce, and had been established as early as 1834. The Fort, however, was located on the Laramie Fork.

Some time was taken in exploring the region as it was to be in the future an important mile post in the journey of the Saints. The name of the river and the fort was taken from a French trapper whose name was Laramie, and who was killed by the Indians on the stream which now bears his name. The Saints presented a busy scene repairing wagons and making preparations for the ascent of the Rocky Mountains. They had kept well to the north, but the route had been established by trappers and explorers. The river afforded a water supply for their animals as well as for domestic purposes. At this time there were practically {295} only two routes across the continent, one to southern California by way of Pueblo, the other along the present route of the Union Pacific railroad. As Oregon was a great objective point in those days, emigrants turned to the northwest before reaching Utah.

"We continued our journey on the 4th of June. The scenery grew more interesting as we began to ascend the Black Hills. Brother Robert Crow had joined us which added to our company nine men, five women, and three children, six wagons, thirteen yoke of oxen, twenty cows, three bulls, ten young cattle and horses which made our camp now one hundred and forty-eight men, eight women, five children, seventy-nine wagons, ninety-six horses, fifty-one mules, ninety oxen, forty-three cows, three bulls, nine calves, sixteen dogs, and sixteen chickens.

"As we traveled farther into the hills, they grew lofty and we began to come into an elk, bear, and mountain-sheep country. Soon after we arrived at the Springs, fifteen miles from Laramie, the first company of Missouri emigrants came up, twelve wagons of them. We journeyed ten and one-half miles farther in the after-noon. The Missouri company camped one-fourth mile below us.

"Next day was Sunday, the 6th, which we devoted to prayer and fasting, but the Missouri company of emigrants started on in the morning. The camp met for prayer-meeting at 8 o'clock and the spirit of the Lord was with the people who met again for preaching at 11 o'clock. We had a shower of rain and the meeting closed. Another company of Missouri wagons, twenty in number, passed us. The rain soon cleared off, and our company moved forward five miles and camped for the night on Bitter Creek.

"The two Missouri companies which had camped near us at night started before us in the morning, and while nooning, another company of thirteen wagons passed us. We were in a fair view of Laramie Peak with its snow covered top. We camped for the night on the Horse Shoe Creek in the best feed we had found on our journey. The hunters brought in two black-tailed deer and one antelope.

"Next day we formed a company of men and went forward with our teams and cleared the road of stone. We used pick-axes, bars, spades, etc., and it was a great help to our weak wagons. {296} In the afternoon we traveled eight and three quarters miles over the most mountainous road on our way and then descended into the valley and camped for the night on Labent Creek where there was an abundance of timber, water, and good grass.

"Brother John Higbee went forward hunting, and saw the Missouri companies of emigrants, and when they started out they had much strife one with another in trying to start first. They did not stop to milk their cows; and in clearing up their breakfast, they strewed their meal, salt, bacon, short cake, beans, and other things upon the ground throughout their encampment; and when we came up, three wolves were feeding upon the fragments.

"In coming over the hills to-day, we found it so cold it pierced us like winter. On reaching the valley, we found fires the companies in advance had built and we piled on the wood and soon got warm. An antelope lay before us which the hunters had brought in. We carved it up with our knives, forked it on sticks, roasted it, and satisfied ourselves without the seasoning of salt.

"We started in the morning at 5 o'clock into better feed a mile farther on and we turned out our teams. The brethren did some trading with the hunters who camped near us. At 7 o'clock, fifteen of our wagons were formed into a company to go forward to make a boat to ferry the Platte. They went forward and we followed them. The traders started at the same time.

"Soon another party of traders who were direct from Sante Fe overtook us. They informed us that the Mormon Battalion was in California, that they went in January, and that Capt. Brown was in Sante Fe for money for the detachment and would come on to us as soon as possible.

"In the afternoon of the next day, President Young and Brother Kimball rode with us. Our detached company had not been heard of since last night when they camped with the fore-most company. We camped to-night, June 9th, at Deer Creek. We had good feed and our horses and cattle were gaining daily."

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28. PIONEERS ENTER SALT LAKE VALLEY

Ferrying the Missourians over the River.--Construction of Rafts--Obtaining Provisions.--Ten Men Left at the Ferry.--Independence Rock.--Devil's Gate.--175 Miles from Fort Laramie.--South Pass.--Meet Major Harris, and Mr. Bridger.--Cross Green River.--Meet Samuel Brannon.--Independence Day.--Meet a Detachment of the Battalion.--Fort Bridger.--Report of the Missouri Company That Perished.--Reach Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1847.

"On June 10th, I examined a splendid grinding stone quarry on the east side of the road as it leaves the hills and strikes the Platte, and Brother Carrington found a very excellent coal bed on Deer Creek. The specimens produced were good.

"At the blowing of the horn at night, I did not feel much like retiring to bed, so walked half a mile from the camp on the bank of Deer Creek and found Brother William Clayton fishing with a hook. He had caught two dozen good fish. They resembled the eastern herring. Another brother had also caught some. As they were leaving they left their lines for me.

"I sat down for half an hour musing alone as unconcerned as though I had been on the banks of Farmington River in my native place, when suddenly I heard a rustling in the bushes near me, and for the first time the thought flashed across me that I was in a country abounding with the grizzly bear, wolves, and Indians, and was liable to an attack at any moment from any one of them. I was away from my company and had no weapon to defend myself, even against a badger. I thought it wisdom to return to camp, and picking up my fishing rods, I walked leisurely home and retired to rest.

"Next day we rode our horses into the river several times during our journey to find a fording place, but could not find one. Our detached company was reported at the ferry ten miles or so above us. Our hunters brought in thirteen antelopes and the Missouri company killed three buffaloes.

"I started on the following morning to go forward in company with Brother A. P. Rockwood, who was riding President {298} Young's steed, which unexpectedly sprang upon my horse, but instead of striking him, he took my knee into his jaw and bruised me considerably, sinking one tooth to the bone through three thicknesses of clothing and one of them buckskin.

"George A. Smith and myself then rode on to the ferrying place and found our detachment ferrying over the Missouri company who paid the brethren $1.50 for each wagon and load, and paid in flour at $2.50 per cwt., while flour through this country was worth at least $10.00 per cwt.

"It was very difficult to get over the river. They carried the goods over in a boat, but drew the wagons over with ropes by hand; and when the current would strike them, they would frequently roll over several times in the water, and they were likely to drown some of the horses. One of the men would have been lost had not the brethren picked him up with the boat. On the road the Missouri company had a stampede of their teams, turning over their wagons, bruising women and children and smashing their things. One ran into the river and would probably have drowned and lost all, had not a little boy jumped out beside the off ox, which gave him a fright and he 'sided off' and ran upon a sand bank, dragging the others after him. The boy was knocked into the water and hurt, but the scene ended without any loss of life.

"Our blacksmiths have been working for the Missouri company for which they get flour, money, etc., and our hunters have been busily engaged. They had killed five fat buffaloes, one old she bear and three cubs and shot at two grizzly bears, but did not get them. Those killed were black bears. Our hunters also brought into camp eight antelopes.

"Sunday, the 13th of June, was a very warm day, and the camp met for prayer meeting at 9 o'clock, and at 10 we had a regular meeting. President Kimball first addressed the meeting and was followed by President Young, who remarked upon the great difference between us as a camp and the Missouri companies who were traveling the same road. He said, 'They curse, swear, rip, and tear, and are trying to swallow up the earth; but though they do not wish us to have a place on it, the earth will soon open and swallow them up and they will go to the land of forgetfulness; {299} while the Saints, if faithful, though they suffer some privations here, will ultimately inherit the earth and increase in power, dominion, and glory.'

"He spoke much to our edification, and was followed by Elder O. Pratt, after which the meeting was dismissed. The Twelve, colonels, captains, etc., of the camp then met at President Young's wagon and consulted about the measures to be adopted to get across the river. It was finally agreed to go immediately to the mountains with wagons and teams, and for every two tens to get poles and lash two or four wagons abreast to keep them from turning over and float them across the river with boats and ropes. So a company of horsemen started for the mountains with teams to draw the poles.

"In the evening the flour, meal, and bacon which had been earned from the Missouri company for ferrying them over were distributed through the camp equally. It amounted to five and one-half pounds of flour, two pounds of meal and a small piece of bacon for each individual in the camp. It looked as much of a miracle to me to see our flour and meal bags replenished in the midst of the Black Hills as it did to have the Children of Israel fed with manna in the wilderness; but the Lord had been truly with us on our journey and wonderfully preserved and blessed us.

"At daylight the next morning the first two tens were called together to make arrangements for crossing. Some of our party did not like the mode proposed of lashing wagons together, as the current was so strong, so we appointed Brother Grover as our captain to direct the rafting and concluded to put our poles into a raft and carry our goods over in a boat and ford our wagons on the raft.

"We commenced at 5 o'clock in the morning and in four hours we had landed eleven wagons of goods upon the north shore with our little leather boat, and during the day we got over all the wagons belonging to our tens, there being eleven wagons in all.

"The rest of the encampment--being twelve tens--got over only the same number of wagons as ourselves. They floated their wagons by tying from two to four together, but the wagons turned clear over each other, bottom side up and back again, breaking {300} the bows, covers, and boxes to pieces, and losing ploughs, axes, and iron that were left in the boxes.

"Most of our company were in the water from morning till night, and all were very weary when the work was done.

"Just as we had drawn Dr. Richards' two wagons to the shore and loaded his goods into them, a storm struck us. I sprang into my carriage, tied all down very tight and applied my whole strength in holding my wagon cover on, but the rain, wind, and hail beat so heavily that it was a task, and my bed and things were nearly drenched. It lasted only seven minutes, but was severe on our wagons and goods, and our horses ran two or three miles in the storm. I crossed the river, went after them, tied them up, and returned weary, but had some pleasant dreams that night.

"I felt unwell next day from the exposures of the day before. My teeth ached. I had suffered much from them on my pioneer journey. It was quite windy and our companies crossed the river very slowly. Another Missouri company came up with us.

"President Young thought it wisdom to leave a number of the brethren here until our companies which were expected to follow us should come up. Those who remained were to keep a ferry for the emigrants on the road not of our people. Such immigrants were to pay $1.50 per wagon in flour at $2.00 per cwt., and in cows at $10.00 each.

"The brethren made two new rafts on the third day of our fording the river and got quite a number of our pioneer wagons over. I was still unwell, but in company with Orson Pratt, I went on to some of the bluffs to view the country, and shot an antelope. This was the first antelope I ever killed.

"We had some strong wind and heavy rain, and in the evening many of us went over the river and tied up our horses. When one company was returning in the leather boat, it half filled with water, and they came nearly sinking.

"Early on the following morning, we swam our horses over, and one mule was nearly drowned by being tangled in a rope, but the current carried him ashore.

"The day before, twenty men went down the river to dig out two large canoes to cover over and make a ferry boat. The emigrants {301} were arriving daily at our fording place, and they reported one thousand wagons between here and Laramie. This was the 5th day spent in ferrying our pioneer company across the river, but now we had succeeded in getting all over, and we once more formed our wagons into a circle. Our brethren helped some of the Missourians to cross, and ran their boat all night in ferrying them over.

"Next day while we were still ferrying them over another large company arrived. We gathered our cattle at 10 o'clock and harnessed our horses, but did not start, as all were not ready, so we turned our teams out again.

"In the afternoon we held a council and resolved to leave nine men to conduct the ferry and to ford emigrant companies and also our own brethren who should come after us. The men were chosen and we met with them again in the evening.

"President Young rebuked one who had asked to stay, but who later wished to continue on with us. He also instructed the brethren who were to tarry to keep together and divide their means accumulated equally according to their labor, for each to esteem his brother as himself, in no wise to retain that which belonged to the traveler, to be careful of the lives and property of those they ferried, not to forget their prayers, and to come up after us with the next company of Saints.

"The men to remain at the ferry were Thomas Grover, captain; John S. Higbee, Luke Johnson, William Empy, Edmund Elsworth, Benjamin F. Stewart, Francis Pomeroy, James Davenport, and Appleton Harmon.

"After seven days we continued our journey, traveled during the day twenty and one-half miles, and had the most wretched camping ground at night we had found on the way. President Young thought it might properly be called 'Hell Gate.' The country abounded with alkali and the water was extremely nauseating. Our horses and cattle, being thirsty, drank some and left it. Some of the cattle got badly mired in the marshes. Our hunters brought in one buffalo, one deer, and three antelopes.

"Early on Sunday morning, the 20th, we hitched up without feed or water and left our encampment of death, poison waters, and alkaline marshes and drove three miles to a good camping {302} ground and sweet water. This was on the Willow Spring branch, about three miles from the head.

"We halted two hours and took breakfast. President Young wished me to go on about fifteen miles and look up a camping ground for the night. So I went forward with George A. Smith to the head of the Willow Spring. Here he stopped with a doctor of a Missouri company, who had been attending a sick family, to wait for our wagons to come up, and I rode on alone. After traveling alone several miles, Brother John Brown came up, and we rode on together over a sandy, barren, sage country to a creek of good water about ten miles west of the Willow Spring. We arrived here at half past 1 o'clock, and turned our horses out to graze.

"Here we tarried till four o'clock and watched for our wagons to come in sight, but we could see none. At length two horsemen were seen approaching and we waved a small flag for them to come to us, supposing they were of our company, but they turned out to be two hunters of the Missouri company, carrying in buffalo meat to their camp. In the distance they thought we were Indians and made off.

"I mounted my horse and put after them and soon overtook them and made inquiries concerning our company. They said they had not seen it, but had seen about a dozen wagons coming by themselves.

"I then concluded that our camp had stopped at the Willow Spring. Captain Smith, who was of the Missouri company, invited us to go on and camp with them for the night, as they did not expect to go more than a few miles farther than the creek we were then on. We could see five miles on the road back, and no wagons were in sight; and as it was now five o'clock, I concluded our company would not come on, and if they did, they would come no farther than the creek.

"We accepted Captain Smith's proposal, and went on with him to spend the night in his camp; but instead of journeying only a miles or so, he continued on mile after mile, finding neither feed nor water, excepting salt and alkaline ponds until we struck the Sweet Water at Independence Rock, so noted already in Fremont's {303} journal, and by other travelers. This was twelve miles from the creek before spoken of.

"The Sweet Waters were sweet indeed, both to man and beast, after traveling through so much alkali country, and there was good feed for the stock.

"After a good supper of bacon, buffalo meat, corn bread, coffee, milk, etc., I lay down in the tent with the Missourians, but did not rest well. I found that there was a great difference between these Missouri emigrants and our own, where there was no such thing as cursing, swearing, quarreling, contending with other companies, etc., allowed or practiced.

"But to return to our pioneer company. At a late hour they came up to the creek which we had left twelve miles back, and grass being poor continued on four miles west of the creek, and camped for the night. Not finding me at the creek, nor hearing from me at all, they felt somewhat alarmed lest I was lost, or had got into trouble with the Indians. They blew the bugle and watched for me till midnight, and finally fired the cannon, while I was camped ten miles from them, not thinking that I was giving them any trouble. I traveled this day a distance of thirty miles and our pioneer company twenty.

"I arose early this morning, June 21, took breakfast, and in company with Brother Brown rode around Independence Rock. We examined the many names and lists of names of the trappers, traders, travelers, and emigrants, nearly all in black, red, and yellow paint. Some had been washed out or otherwise defaced. The greatest number was put on during recent years, but we found some of thirty years standing. Nearly all the companies who pass put their names on it.

"After going around and examining it, we staked our horses and mounted it. I went forward and gained the high point on the south end of the Rock which contains the names. I then went to the north end, which is the highest point of Independence Rock. There is an opening or cavern that would contain thirty or forty persons and a rock standing upon the highest peak of about three tons weight.

"Upon this rock we climbed to the highest point and offered up our prayers according to the order of the priesthood, praying {304} earnestly for the blessing of God to rest upon President Young and his brethren the Twelve and all the Pioneer Camp, the whole Camp and House of Israel in the wilderness, our wives, children, and relatives, the Mormon Battalion, and the churches abroad. While offering up our prayers the spirit of the Lord descended upon us. I was the first Latter-day Saint on Independence Rock.

"We had a view of our camp from the rock, and expected they would noon there, so we mounted our horses and concluded to examine the country around. We rode five miles to the northeast, went on the top of the high bluff and saw our camp in motion. We then rode to the foot of the mountain and traced the way to the Devil's Gate, through which the Sweet Water runs. Here we spent but a few moments, and then hurried back to Independence Rock. As our camp had come up, before we could get to them, and camped half a mile east of it, I saw President Young going up to Independence Rock, and I related to him my travels since I left the company. He asked me to go back with him, so I turned out my horse, having ridden him twenty miles during the forenoon, and returned with President Young, Willard Richards, George A. Smith, and others. We spent half an hour on the Rock and then returned to our camp, mounted our horses and rode to the Devil's Gate, five miles from Independence Rock. We rode as far as we could into the Gate, hitched our horses, and walked into about the centre of the cavern.

"The Devil's Gate is about four hundred feet high, one hundred and twenty feet wide, and fifty rods long, and the water rushes through it with a roar. The rocks are coarse, gray granite with a vein of black trap rock running through them. We spent about half an hour here, and then had to back our horses out, after which we rode around it on the south side. Some of the footmen walked over the top of it. We camped for the night about one mile west of the Devil's Gate, on the bank of the Sweet Water.

"A guide board was put up at Devil's Gate, stating that it was one hundred and seventy-five and one-fourth miles from Fort Laramie, and fifty and one-fourth from our ferry on the Platte River.

"Two more Missouri companies overtook us at noon on our next day's travel, and they informed us that a man was drowned {305} at the ferry, after we left, in trying to swim his horses, and that his body had not been found.

"The camp started on again after our company had nooned; but Brothers Young, Little, Benson, and myself went back to meet Lorenzo Young, who had broken an axletree of his wagon, and we were behind all the afternoon.

"After a journey of twenty and three-fourths miles, the pioneers camped at night at the foot of a mound about two-hundred feet high, on the bank of Sweet Water. Brother Kimball and myself went to the top of it and looked down upon the camp, and it appeared to us delightful. We offered up our prayers and the spirit of the Lord rested upon us, and then we descended to the camp. The moon was shining beautifully. On the 24th the best horse in camp, President Young's, was shot by accident.

"On the evening of the 26th of June, after a travel of eighteen and three-fourths miles, we camped opposite the Table Rock and near the summit of the South Pass. I was quite astonished at the road and country to-day, considering we were crossing at the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains. It was the best road we had traveled over for many days, and had it not been for the Wind River range of mountains in full view on our right covered with eternal snow, and some snow banks ten feet deep by the side of the road as we passed along, with the Table Rock on the left, I should almost have thought myself traveling over the beautiful prairies of Illinois and Missouri, except that the country was covered with more sage than prairie grass. The road for many miles, and also the plain of beautiful grass lying north of the Table Rock, were strewn with very handsome cornelian stones. I saw more in one hour this evening than ever before during my whole life, either in the rude state or polished, in all the jewelers' shops I ever saw in my travels.

"Elders Kimball, Pratt, G. A. Smith, and Brown had gone on to take observation on the dividing ridge. They continued on to the Green River, seven miles from us, which runs into the Pacific, while we were on the Sweet Waters, that run in an easterly direction. They supposed that we would come on to them, and as they did not return, several of us mounted our horses to go in search of them, but we soon met Brother Kimball returning, and {306} he informed us that the rest of the brethren would camp on the Green River with some men from Oregon on their way to the States.

"June 27th, 1847, was the third anniversary of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

"It was Sunday morning, but we harnessed up our teams and drove to where Brothers Pratt and Smith had camped with Major Harris, who had been traveling through Oregon and California for twenty-five years, and had a wide acquaintance with the country. He brought a file of Oregon papers and one published by S. Brannon of California. We had a great deal of conversation with him. He spoke unfavorably of the Salt Lake country for a settlement, but spoke of other places not far off that were good.

"We parted with Major Harris next day, after doing some trading with him, and in our afternoon's travel met Mr. Bridger of the Fort on the way with men going to Fort Laramie. He was expecting us and wished to have an interview with President Young and the Twelve. We also wished to have an interview with him. We immediately returned to the Creek upon which we had nooned and camped for the night, and Mr. Bridger and his men camped with us.

"We met in council with Mr. Bridger, and spent some hours in conversation, and found him to be a great traveler, possessing an extensive knowledge of nearly all Oregon and California, the mountains, lakes, rivers, springs, valleys, mines, ore, etc. He spoke more highly of the Great Basin for a settlement than Major Harris had done. He said it was his paradise and that if this people settled in it he would settle with them; and that there was but one thing that could operate against its becoming a great grain country, and that would be frost, as he did not know but the frost might affect the corn. He conversed with us about a great variety of subjects connected with the country; said he was ashamed of the maps of Fremont, who knew nothing about the country, only the plain traveled road, and that he could correct all the maps published of the western world.

"We parted next day from Mr. Bridger who remarked that it would not be prudent to bring a great population to the Basin until we ascertained whether grain would grow or not. O. P. {307} Rockwell and myself went forward to pick out a camping ground. We traveled fifteen miles from where we nooned before we could get grass, and this made the longest day's journey on the whole route, making twenty-three and three-fourths miles.

"We traveled three miles on the last day of June, and camped on the bank of the Green River at the ferry. The afternoon was spent in building a raft, as the river was high and could only be crossed upon rafts or boats.

"During the afternoon, the arrival of Elder Samuel S. Brannon from the bay of San Francisco was announced in camp, and we were glad to meet with him, and to hear from the Saints who went with him. He gave us an account of their landing, their travels, and present settlement, which was two hundred miles up the river from the bay. They were putting in wheat and building up their place.

"During the following three days we were fording Green River. On the afternoon of the second, the Twelve held a council and four men were appointed to return and meet the Camp of Israel and pilot them. We each wrote our wives concerning the counsel to be given the camp. I wrote letters next day to my father, A. O. Smoot, and John Benbow, to be taken back by the pilots. The ferrying was finished on the evening of the third day and we moved on three miles and camped.

"The Fourth of July came on Sunday. I accompanied President Young, Brothers Kimball, Richards, and others with the pilots to the ferry to put them across; and when we arrived at the river we saw thirteen horsemen on the opposite bank with their baggage on one of our rafts. To our great joy, who should they be but our brethren of the Mormon Battalion belonging to Captain Brown's detachment, who had been at Pueblo during the winter. Amasa Lyman, whom we had sent to them, had reached them with information of our movements and the whole detachment of one hundred and forty of the brethren were within seven days' drive of us.

"When we met these brethren there was truly a hearty greeting and shaking of hands. We put them all over the river excepting one who returned with our pilots to meet the following companies of the Saints. This small detachment of the Battalion had {308} about a dozen of their horses stolen by some horse thieves, but they overtook them and got them all back but two which had gone on to Bridger.

"We left Green River (the headwaters of the Colorado) on the 5th, drove twenty miles, and camped on Black's Fork. There was neither feed nor water between this place and Green River, but similar to the last two hundred miles, a sandy desert covered with sage brush.

"Next evening we camped on the west side of Ham's Fork, which we crossed on the following day and drove to Fort Bridger. In the region of the Fort, before we got on to our camping ground, we crossed more than a dozen trout brooks, the water running swiftly but clear, with hard, gravelly bottoms, and the whole region of country up and down these streams was covered with grass knee deep.

"The brethren caught several brook trout which was the first I had seen since I left England, and as we were to spend the next day at the Fort, I calculated on a day of fishing. As soon as I had my breakfast next morning, I rigged up my fishing rod that I had brought with me from Liverpool, fixed my reel line and artificial fly, and went to one of the brooks close by to try my luck.

"The men at the Fort said that there were but few trout in the streams, and a good many of the brethren were already at the creeks with their rods trying their skill, baiting with fresh meat and grasshoppers, but no one was catching any.

"I threw my fly into the water, and it being the first time that I ever tried the artificial fly in America or ever saw it tried, I watched it as it floated upon the water with as much interest as Franklin did his kite when he was experimenting in drawing lightning from the sky; and as he received great joy when he saw the electricity descend on his kite string, so was I highly gratified when I saw the nimble trout dart at my fly hook, and run away with the line. I soon worried him out and drew him to shore.

"I fished two or three hours during the morning and evening and caught twelve in all. One half of them would weigh three-fourths of a pound each, while all the rest of the camp did not {309} catch three pounds in all, which was taken as proof that the artificial fly is far the best to fish with.

"In the afternoon I went to Bridger's house and traded off my flint-lock rifle for four buffalo robes which were large, nice, and well dressed. I found things generally at least one-third higher than I had ever known them at any other trading post I ever saw in America.

"I arose in the morning quite unwell and felt threatened with the mountain fever, yet I mounted my horse and rode till ten o'clock; but before I started I was called upon to administer to Brother Carter, who was taken with the fever. There were new cases of the mountain fever every day in camp. At ten o'clock I had to give up and take to my bed in the wagon with distressing pain in my head, back, joint bones, marrow and all through my system, attended with cold chills and hot flashes through the body. We traveled over thirteen miles of as bad road as any we had on our journey, which made it exceedingly painful to the sick. The day seemed very long to me. When we stopped at night, I took composition, cayenne, and a dose of vegetable pills, had a better night than I expected; and though I was feeble in the morning, I felt that my fever was broken up and I was recovering.

"The night of the 10th we camped one and a half miles from Bear River, by the best stream of water we had found on the route, and a small stream near by a valley six miles long, grass knee deep, strong mineral springs, copper, lead, coal, and lime.

"Camp fires were discovered about three miles from our camping ground and George A. Smith and others went over to them and found them to be in the camp of a Mr. Miles Goodyear. He had settled at Salt Lake and had a garden and vegetables, he said, doing well. Several Missourians were with him going to the States.

"The subject was brought up concerning the emigrant company who had perished in the mountains last winter. They were mostly from Independence and Clay Counties, Missouri, and were a mob company that threatened to drive out the Mormons who were in California, and started with that spirit in their hearts. But it seemed as though they were ripe for judgment. The snows {310} fell upon them eighteen feet deep on a level, many died and others turned cannibal. About forty persons perished. They were mostly eaten up by those who survived them. Mrs. L. Murphy of Tennessee, whom I baptized while on a mission in that country, but since apostatized and joined the mob, was in that company and died, or was killed, and eaten. Her bones were sawed to pieces for her brains and marrow, and then left strewn upon the ground.

"We spent the Sunday in camp, but some of the brethren rode out to seek out the road and found a tar spring about fifteen miles south of our camp.

"Early Monday morning, I rode to Bear River, and for the first time I saw the long-looked-for Bear River Valley.

"The spot where we struck it was not very interesting. There was considerable grass in the valley and some timber and thick brushes on the bank of the river. My object in riding to the river before the camp was to try my luck in fishing for trout. After fishing for several hours, I started after the camp, having caught eight trout in all.

"The pioneers had traveled nine miles and nooned in a valley. I found President Young very sick with the fever. The company had started on, but President Young lay so sick that he concluded not to move from where he was. Brothers Kimball, Benson, Rockwood, and others stayed with him with their wagons.

"We drove without any road over hills and dales, having to make our road as we went along. We camped at night by the side of Reddings Cave. The valleys were beginning to grow more fertile and the air more pacific.

"I arose quite unwell in the morning. Several brethren went to meet President Young, and the camp lay still waiting for him to come up. Brother Kimball came at noon and a council of the whole camp was called, and it was resolved that Orson Pratt take a company of about twenty wagons and forty men and go on to the canyon and make a road as they went, so we would not be hindered when we came along. There were twenty-three wagons in all that started at 1 o'clock.

"We had found but little game for many days until yesterday, when the hunters brought in twelve antelopes, and ten today.

{311} "President Young was better today, but decided not to move until to-morrow. In the afternoon I walked out with Elder Richards, in search of springs of water.

"Next morning I rode back seven miles to visit President Young and found him much better in health and quite cheerful. The evening before, Dr. Richards, myself, and George A. Smith went before the Lord and prayed for Brother Young, and we had a testimony that he would recover from that hour. I found Brother Rockwood the sickest man that had been in our company. I tarried until near night, assisting the sick, and then returned to our encampment.

"I started early on the morrow with my carriage and horses to go back for President Young and Brother Rockwood. I was two hours driving seven miles to their camp. I found them much better, and they thought they could ride, as my carriage was the easiest vehicle in our company. I made up a bed and took them both into my carriage, and the rest of the wagons started and drove to the main body. The sick seemed refreshed by their ride. After a short halt, the whole company drove four and a half miles and camped for the night.

"Next day I again took Brothers Young and Rockwood in my carriage and drove them during the day. We had bad roads for the sick, and Brother Brigham was worn out and worse at night. At night I went to Weber Fork, one mile from our encampment, and caught a trout for him.

"He was still sick in the morning, and after we had driven three miles on to the Weber's Fork, we camped the remainder of the day because President Young was worse. The Twelve and others went out and prayed for him and for the sick generally, according to the order of the priesthood.

"Sunday, the 18th, was spent holding meeting; and on the morrow morning, forty-one wagons went on. With them were Dr. Richards' and George A Smith's. Fifteen wagons remained with President Young. Two of mine were of the number.

"In company with Heber C. Kimball, E. T. Benson, and Howard Egan, I rode over the mountain called Pratt's Pass, with the company that went on, and then returned to President Young.

"Next morning we started early and stopped for breakfast {312} after a five-mile drive. I carried Brother Brigham in my carriage. The fever was still on him, but he stood the ride well.

"After breakfast we traveled ten miles over the worst road of the whole journey. Our camping ground at night was on a trout creek. Here we found three wagons that had tarried in consequence of the sick. Brothers Sherwood, Johnson, and Dewey were so sick they could not journey, and we camped with them and baptized them for their health, and I confirmed them. This morning Brother Pratt's company was only eight miles further on than where we camped at night.

"We remained in camp next day because of sickness. We were on East Canyon Creek, and the route we were taking was Reed's Pass, which we named Pratt's Pass, in consequence of his going on to make the road.

"Next day eight miles of our journey was made, and East Canyon Creek was reached. It was eight miles of the worst of roads, and Brother Case smashed one of his hind wheels. We had to wait two hours to bring his wagon up. The sick stood the journey better than we expected during the day, considering the bad road.

"We left East Canyon Creek on the 23rd and traveled to the west five miles up hill which brought us to the summit, and then descended the mountain six miles through a thick timber grove. The timbers had been cut out of the road, yet it was full of stumps and it kept each teamster very busy to dodge the stumps and not break his wagon. One man turned his wagon over and smashed the top all to pieces. There were two children in the wagon, but they were not hurt.

"We nooned at a beautiful spring in a small birch grove. There was more timber during this half day's travel than we had seen in a month, and the valleys, both ascending and descending, were extremely fertile and covered with vegetation to the tops of the hills.

"At the spring where we nooned we were met by Brothers Pack and Matthews from the forward camps. They brought us a letter informing us that it was only ten miles to the valley of the Great Salt Lake, or Great Basin, and fourteen to their camp. They had explored the country as far as possible and made choice of a {313} spot to put in crops. After nooning we traveled up another very tedious hill and down into a valley and camped for the night.

"This, the 24th day of July, 1847, was an important day in the history of my life, and in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After traveling from our encampment six miles through the deep ravine valley ending with the canyon, we came in full view of the valley of the Great Salt Lake, or the Great Basin--the Land of Promise, held in reserve by the hand of God as a resting place for the Saints.

"We gazed with wonder and admiration upon the vast fertile valley spread out before us for about twenty-five miles in length and sixteen miles in width, clothed with a heavy garment of vegetation, and in the midst of which glistened the waters of the Great Salt Lake, with mountains all around towering to the skies, and streams, rivulets and creeks of pure water running through the beautiful valley.

"After a hard journey from Winter Quarters of more than one thousand miles, through flats of the Platte River and plateaus of the Black Hills and Rocky Mountains and over the burning sands, and eternal sage regions, willow swails and rocky regions, to gaze upon a valley of such vast extent surrounded with a perfect chain of everlasting mountains covered with eternal snow, with their innumerable peaks like pyramids towering towards heaven, presented at one view to us the grandest scenery and prospect that we could have obtained on earth. Thoughts of pleasant meditation ran in rapid succession through our minds at the anticipation that not many years hence the House of God would be established in the mountains and exalted above the hills, while the valleys would be converted into orchards, vineyards, fields, etc., planted with cities, and the standard of Zion be unfurled, unto which the nations would gather.

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29. RETURN OF THE PIONEERS TO WINTER QUARTERS, 1847

In Retrospect.--First Crop of Potatoes Planted.--The Beginning of Irrigation.--First Sunday.--Explorations South to Utah Lake.--Choice of Temple Block.--Address by Brigham Young.--Return to Winter Quarters.--Meet the Second Company of Pioneers.--Encounter with the Indians.--Reach Winter Quarters, Oct. 31, 1847.--First Presidency Organized, Dec. 27, 1847.

As the valley presented itself to view before the gaze of this sturdy band of pioneers, President Young expressed his full satisfaction with the place. The Lord had shown him the view before in a vision; and now as he lay upon his bed (still physically indisposed) in Elder Woodruff's carriage, the Lord also showed him many things concerning the future of the valley; and with one united testimony, the pioneer company felt that they had reached their destination. They could now rest the soles of their feet in peace and be free from fury of angry mobs.

That was sixty years ago; and in view of the great change which has been brought about, we are led to exclaim, "What hath God wrought!" Then, sage-brush plain, with no inhabitants excepting the wandering Lamanite, not a building, not a fence, not a furrow, the silence of a barren desert reigned supreme. To-day, a mighty city of 100,000 people stands, with a Temple of the Lord, many houses of worship and of learning, modern inventions, and all other evidences of civilization. It is one of the most beautiful cities in all the land, where the weary traveler and the home-seeker from nearly every land and clime have found a place of rest. What a debt of gratitude these busy thousands owe to the pioneers of sixty years ago will not be fully known until they are quickened by a perfect understanding of man's relationship to God and man, and the purposes of a Supreme Being.

Orson Pratt, Erastus Snow, and a number of others had entered the valley two days before and had already plowed by the side of two small streams nearly five acres of land. After gazing a short time over the valley, the company moved over the {315} table-land into the valley about four miles to the encampment of their brethren. Brother Woodruff had one-half bushel of potatoes, and before eating his dinner, he planted them in the earth and hoped, by the blessings of the Lord, to save enough for seed the following year.

There were no idlers in the camp, all were busy as bees. They dammed up one creek, and before night had spread the water over a large tract and irrigated the parched ground. This was the beginning of irrigation in the Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1847. Since then the work of irrigation has spread abroad in all the arid regions of the West from Nebraska to California. The various methods of utilizing the water have been studied and improved. Irrigation has occupied the attention of great minds assembled in Congresses to discuss the subject, and has been considered in the legislative halls of the nation; but the pioneers in this enterprise were the little band of faithful and great men led by the Prophet Brigham Young to the Valleys of the Mountains.

Of the future, Elder Woodruff records the meditations of their minds on that occasion thus: "Thoughts of pleasant meditations ran in rapid succession through our minds in anticipation that not many years hence the House of God would be established in the mountains and be exalted above the hills, while the valleys would be converted into orchards, vineyards, and fields planted with cities, and the Standard of Zion be unfurled for the gathering of the nations." Such positive utterances show how deeply convinced were the pioneers that God had led them to the valley. They knew the future in general, as well as we of to-day know the past in detail. They said that the Lord had shown it unto them, and the fulfillment of their predictions proves that He did. It would indeed be a wilful unbelief on the part of the descendants of these pioneers to doubt the inspiration which guided President Young and his associates in the settlement of the Salt Lake Valley.

Toward the evening of the 24th, as if to give hope of future moisture, the Lord sent a beautiful thunder shower, and it rained for a short time over the entire valley. President Woodruff says: "We felt thankful for this, as it was the general opinion that it never rained in the valley during the summer season." Thus closed the day, the great Pioneer Day, to be celebrated each {316} year by thousands and indeed by millions yet unborn.

The following day was Sunday, and the pioneers met for worship at about 10 a. m. The first sermon delivered in the valley was by President Geo. A. Smith, and Bro. Woodruff writes that, "It was an interesting discourse."

President Heber C. Kimball and Ezra T. Benson also spoke in the forenoon.

At 2 p. m., the Sacrament was administered. The congregation was addressed by Elders Wilford Woodruff, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, and several others with closing instructions by President Young in which he warned them against breaking the Sabbath. They must not work, fish, or hunt on that day. He warned them against sin of every kind, and thus there was begun the work of God in the Valleys of the Mountains.

On Monday the 26th President Young and several brethren ascended the summit of a mountain on the north which they named Ensign Peak, a name it has borne ever since. Elder Woodruff was the first to gain the summit of the peak. Here they unfurled the American flag, the Ensign of Liberty to the world. It will be remembered that the country then occupied by the Saints was Mexican soil, and was being taken possession of by the Mormon Battalion and pioneers as a future great commonwealth to the credit and honor of the United States.

Elder Woodruff soon became active in exploring the valley, and penetrating southward to the Utah Lake. He came in contact with roaming Indians but found them friendly and desirous of trading with the whites. After exploring a couple of days, and seeing the new land, with here and there a herd of mountain goats, sheep, and antelope, he and his brethren returned to the pioneer encampment.

Four days after the arrival of the pioneers in the Valley, they selected the site upon which to build the Temple of the Lord. President Young called the Twelve together on this important occasion, and all were united in the choice of the Temple Block. Those who were present on that occasion were President Brigham Young, Elders Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Amasa Lyman, and Ezra T. Benson.

At that time it was moved and carried that the Temple lot {317} should contain forty acres, but later it was deemed too large a tract to care for properly, and the lot was limited to the ten acre block upon which the Temple now stands.

The city was laid out in blocks of ten acres, divided into eight lots, of equal size, one and a fourth acres in each. President Young expressed a desire that the houses be built in the center of the lot, so that in case of fire the neighbors' houses would not be endangered, being so far apart. The design of President Young was that no speculation in lands by the brethren should be allowed whereby the first comers should enrich themselves at the expense of their brethren who should follow.

Close up to the city limits, the farming land was parceled out in five acre plats, joining them a little farther out into ten acres, and outside of these, twenty acre fields. This arrangement prevented any one man from holding a large tract near the city, and by so doing prevented speculation by the individual to the detriment of the whole community.

The city could easily extend its borders without purchasing much land from any one individual. In other words, the interest of the whole was to be uppermost in the mind of each man, and the spirit of greed and avarice seldom asserted itself on the part of those noble founders of Utah's great commonwealth.

I have heard my respected step-father, Jesse W. Fox, say that he surveyed many of the cities and much of the land between Logan and St. George, a distance of over 400 miles, and the desire to select a town lot or a farm lot in any of the places for speculative purposes never entered his heart; and if any one asked him to select one for him he promptly refused, saying that those who owned the land should be the builders on it and that no one by his assistance should ever speculate at the expense of the poor Saints coming to the Valley to serve God and keep His commandments.

This was the spirit and sentiment of President Young, Elder Woodruff, and all those noble men, and it was generally shared throughout all the camp of Israel. Indeed, it is the spirit of the Gospel of Christ.

On July 29th, about one hundred and forty of the Mormon Battalion came into camp with one hundred Saints from Mississippi. Captains Brown, Higgins, and Lieutenant Willis of the Battalion {318} were among the number. They were met about four miles out by President Young and party, and received from them a hearty welcome to the home of the Saints.

They brought with them sixty wagons, one hundred head of horses and mules, three hundred head of cattle, all of which served to strengthen very materially the settlement of the Saints. While some were exploring, others were plowing and planting so that in less than a week from the 24th of July they had fields planted with potatoes, corn, beans, peas, and buckwheat.

What a busy, hopeful, energetic scene the Pioneer Camp must have presented at that time! They visited the warm and hot sulphur springs on the north, and bathed in the latter.

A number of the Utah Indians visited the camp, and the subject of the course to be pursued in dealing with them was discussed, and the counsel to feed them and not fight them has been followed by the Latter-day Saints from that day to the present. Had this policy been pursued by all the whites, much blood and treasure would have been saved to the nation; and it is safe to say that many lives and much property have been saved the people by the course of peace and love pursued by the Latter-day Saints toward their red brethren.

Sunday, August 1st, the Saints assembled for worship and were edified by discourses from Elders Kimball, Pratt, Lyman, and others. Elder Willard Richards read a letter from the commanding officers of the Battalion highly commending the deportment of the Mormon volunteers in the American service. The revelation given to President Young at Winter Quarters was read to the assembly and accepted as the word of the Lord by their unanimous vote.

In the evening the Twelve met in council and decided that Brother Ezra T. Benson and three others should return east until they met the company following the pioneers, ascertain their welfare, and bring on the mail.

Elder Woodruff joined with Elder Geo. A. Smith in cutting and hauling logs for their cabins while awaiting also the preparation of adobes for their more permanent dwellings. Brother Woodruff reports his first day at chopping logs as very fatiguing. Many of the horses belonging to the pioneers were exposed to the {319} Indians, but none was stolen, "and this," writes Elder Woodruff, "increased our confidence in the Indians."

About this time President Young felt impressed that he and the brethren of the camp should renew their covenants by baptism. August 6th, the Twelve were rebaptized by President Young. Elder Kimball baptized President Young and the latter confirmed his brethren and re-sealed upon them all their former blessings. Following this, the brethren selected their inheritances. Brother Woodruff's was the corner diagonally across the street from the south-west corner of the Temple Block, facing the east and north.

In the evening Elder Kimball baptized fifty-five members of the camp. Elder Woodruff assisted in their confirmation. August the 8th the general work of rebaptizing continued. Elders Kimball, Snow, Lewis, Goddard, Everett, and Shumway did the baptizing, while President Young and the Twelve confirmed. "This made 288 in all who had been rebaptized during the last three days. The camp assembled as usual at 10 o'clock for public meeting and was addressed by Heber C. Kimball, much to our edification. I followed and was never blessed with greater liberty of speech."

The practice of the Saints coming into the Valley to renew their covenants by baptism was followed for many years, but later, when the organizations abroad became more perfect, and the Saints came with speedy and direct transportation from their native lands to the stakes of Zion, this practice has been discontinued as not being of the same necessity as in the early pioneer days.

Sunday, August 15th, Elder Woodruff attended the services and reported a lengthy and very interesting discourse by President Brigham Young. On the 11th a little child of Brother Crow was drowned and President Young offered some consoling remarks bearing upon this sad event, and he also spoke upon the resurrection. Much of his discourse was upon the authority of the priesthood, from which we quote a few lines: "Brother Joseph received the Patriarchal or Melchisedek Priesthood from under the hands of Peter, James, and John. From those Apostles Joseph received every power, blessing, and privilege of the highest authority of the Melchisedek Priesthood ever committed to man on the earth. Some have had fears that we had not power to {320} obtain revelations since the death of Joseph, but I want this subject from this time and forever to be set at rest. I want the Church to understand from this day henceforth and forever, that an Apostle is the highest office and authority that there is in the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth. Joseph Smith gave unto me and my brethren, the Twelve, all the priesthood, power, and authority which he held, and those are powers which belong to the Apostleship. We shall take time, and each step the Saints take, let them take time enough to understand it. Everything at Nauvoo went with a rush. We had to build the Temple with the trowel in one hand and the sword in the other, and mobs were upon us all the while, and many crying out, 'Oh! the Temple can't be built.' I told them it should be built. This Church should not fall; and the Lord said if we did not build it we should be rejected as a Church with our dead. Why did He say it? Because the Saints were becoming slothful and covetous, and would spend their means upon fine houses for themselves before they would put it into a House of the Lord; but we went at it and finished it and turned it over into the hands of the Lord in spite of earth and hell, and the brethren were so faithful that we labored day and night to give them their endowments.

"When I look upon the great work the elders of Israel have to perform, and look around upon them, and see them vain and foolish, it makes me sorrowful. They forget their calling. O, ye elders of Israel, think for a moment what manner of persons ought ye to be--men who hold the priesthood and keys of salvation, who have power to go to the nations of the earth and say to the people, 'We have salvation for you if you will receive it, and celestial glory awaits you; or condemnation, if you reject it.' It is no trifling affair to have power put into your hands to deal with the eternal destinies of the sons and daughters of Adam who form the nations of the earth."

In the afternoon Elders Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow edified the people under the influence of the spirit of the Lord. In conference of the leading men, they gave to the city the name of "The City of the Great Salt Lake." It has since been abbreviated to Salt Lake City. The stream running westward was given the name of "City Creek," which it still bears; the river on the west, "Western Jordan," to distinguish it from Jordan in Palestine; the {321} two streams from the mountains on the east, "Great Canyon Creek" and "Little Canyon Creek." In the main, these names have been preserved. It was also decided to fence the city, and to appoint a president, and high council for the new stake of Zion.

Elder Woodruff and his associates were occupied until August 26th in setting things in order and preparing for the pioneers' return to Winter Quarters.

On the way, they met Elder Benson as a messenger from the moving camp of Israel, and later on met the camp itself in different bodies, chiefly in charge of Elders Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor. The whole company consisted of 600 wagons. President Woodruff met his father in the train but his step-mother had gone back to Iowa to live with her daughter Emma. On the journey many interesting meetings were held and much choice instruction given and some reproofs meted out, especially by President Brigham Young. It was a constant schooling. Like ancient Israel, the Saints were not free from faults, and needed training and reproving to prepare them for greater things.

Brother Woodruff recorded in his journal nearly all the counsels, teachings, and ministrations of President Young which occurred on the journey. A few incidents of an exciting nature occurred on the route. On the 10th of September, near the Sweet Water, the horses were stolen, and also those belonging to the Saints on their way to the Valley. Of this episode Elder Woodruff writes: "The alarm was given early next morning that a lot of our horses and mules were stolen. Bells were found cut from the horses, also lariats cut off, an arrow picked up, and other signs of Indians were in evidence. The trail was finally found and a company of 200 horsemen started in pursuit of the Indians. It looked gloomy to see so many women and children here in the mountains with their horses and cattle stolen. Thirty horses were taken from the pioneer camps, and twenty from the other camps.

"The company remained together during the day, and in the evening assembled for meeting and was addressed by Orson Pratt. Heber C. Kimball, and Brigham Young. During the evening, two of the brethren returned from the pursuit of the Indians and brought back five of the horses.

"Next morning we parted with our friends who were going West, and those of us who had not lost horses divided with those {322} who had. As we journeyed on, we met the remainder of our brethren returning from the Indian chase, but with no more of the horses that were stolen. The enemy had taken forty three."

Ten days later, on the morning of September 21st, another exciting disturbance with the Indians took place. He writes: "About 9 a. m. the call was made to get our horses. I started for them in the timber, one-half mile from camp. When about two thirds of the way one of the most exciting scenes occurred. I heard several reports of guns in quick succession. At the same time, our guard cried out, 'Indians! Indians!' In less than a minute the timber and bluffs were lined with mounted Indians charging with all speed upon our guard, horses, and camps. They shot at several of the guards but missed them. The Indians took a couple of the guards and tried to carry them off by force, but the guards knocked them down with their fists and escaped. Some of the brethren snapped their guns at the Indians but the guns missed fire and no blood was shed.

"As soon as I heard the report of the guns and the cry of Indians, and saw them driving off horses, and gathering thick and fast upon every hand, I ran to camp with all speed and gave the alarm, calling upon all to gather arms and mount their horses. Brothers Kimball, Rockwood, Matthews, and several others sprang to their horses with guns and pistols in hand and ran to stop the horses the Indians were driving away. One party of Indians had driven about a dozen horses and mules over the hills. Brother Kimball took after them. Two Indians had gone over the bluff with my horse and mule. Brother Rockwood went after them, and at the same time about 20 of our horses came rushing toward camp, frightened by the Indians. With great exertion President Young and one or two others succeeded in getting them stopped and turned them into camp.

"As soon as I arrived in camp, I opened my trunk, took out my belt containing 8 pistol shots, buckled it on as soon as possible, put a saddle and bridle on a broken down horse, for want of a better one, and mounted without spur or whip and gave chase after my own horses. I could not go fast over rough roads with a poor horse, but went as fast as possible. As soon as I began to ascend the bluffs, I saw Indians gathering thick on every hand, closing in between me and the camp. As I passed one Indian, {323} he was priming his gun, but I continued the chase. While going up a ravine with steep bluffs on each side, an avalanche of some thirty Indians rushed down upon me and hedged me in so that I could not get out. Within a few feet of me a large Indian drew a gun on me. I presented a sixshooter at his breast and gave a yell, which I had no sooner done than he gave a whoop and ran up the hill, all the other Indians following his example.

"As soon as my horse and mule got over their fright and were out of sight of the camp, they tried to return to it, and troubled the Indians in driving them. Brother Rockwood soon came near them, and when the Indians found they were overtaken, one stopped and professed friendship, while the other tried to drive the horses on. Brother Rockwood fired his pistol at him and the Indians both ran away, and we soon caught the horses. While this was going on, nearly forty Indians surrounded Brother Kimball and some of the brethren started to his assistance. Indians were also on every side of me until I got to the camp.

"The brethren who were with me having gone to the assistance of Brother Kimball, the camp was left with but few to protect it, so that when I arrived I found one hundred and fifty warriors had gathered around it, all dressed in the greatest war style. The old chief then addressed us and said they were good Sioux, and they had taken us to be Crows or Snakes. When they found they could get no more of our horses and that three had been retaken, they professed friendship. There were eleven horses in all taken by the Indians who numbered about 200 warriors, well mounted, while there were not more than 20 of our men engaged in stopping and retaking the horses. Brother Gould took one of the Indian's horses and an Indian brought back Brother Woolsey's horse and exchanged for him. This, with my two horses, were the only ones taken during the skirmish.

"When the Indians gathered before our camp, they saw that we were armed, and knew that we had treated them kindly on our way to the Valley. The old chief then proposed that we smoke the pipe of peace; and that if our chief, pointing to President Young, would go to their camp, they would smoke with him and give up the horses they had taken. Brother Brigham was not well, and we did not think it prudent for him to go.

"While engaged in the above conversation with the Indians, {324} Brother Kimball who had been out on the chase, returned bare headed, having dropped his hat. He was accompanied by Brother Benson, and in riding into camp rushed his horse through the midst of the Indians. They feared some treachery, or that he was an enemy. They leaped upon their horses and dashed away from the camp, some even running into the creek. As soon as they saw that no harm was intended, they returned and took their places, having a hearty laugh at their fright.

"Brother Kimball volunteered to accompany the chief into his camp, in place of President Young, that we might get our horses. Brother Stephen Markham and myself volunteered to go with him, so we three mounted our horses and started on the expedition. We took a Frenchman with us who could speak a little of the Sioux language.

"The Indians told us their camp was one mile away, but we traveled seven miles over bluffs and valleys before we came in sight of it. The camp was three miles distant yet, so we halted and waited for them. When they came up to us they pitched about one hundred lodges. They numbered about six hundred, men, women, and children, and brought with them about one thousand horses and mules, all of which we supposed were stolen from emigrants and from Indian tribes.

"Their camps presented a very picturesque and amusing appearance. Among their horses we readily recognized our own, which were stolen on the night we camped with Brother Grant's company. We lost nearly fifty head that night and here they were in the drove which these Indians had.

"The old chief called together the war chiefs and placed them on his left hand, and ourselves on his right, and sat down upon the grass, filled a long pipe with kinnikinic, smoked it, and passed it to his chiefs. They smoked and passed it to us, and we each smoked in turn. The old chief then told us to pick out our horses, which we undertook to do, but found it no easy task to pick out a few horses from among one thousand others scattered for nearly two miles up the creek. After a laborious search, we got all but two that were stolen that morning. We spoke to the chief about the two horses they still had in their possession, but while they acknowledged they had them, they gave us no encouragement that they would let us have them upon our arrival {325} at Laramie, but would only let us have one of them now. The brethren presented the chief with three bushels of salt and we then returned to camp. Thus ended the exciting scenes and business of the day."

In a subsequent effort to regain these stolen horses they were unsuccessful. It appears that the Indians did not fulfill their promise, but spirited the horses away where they could not be found.

On the 2nd of October, Brother Woodruff and Luke Johnson started out in search of some buffalo meat. He writes of this as follows: "We started at day break, and the wolves, whose cries had rent the air during the night, were slinking away in all directions as we rode along, and the beautiful swans were floating upon the water, adding charm to the scene. Soon, a large herd of buffaloes was in sight. We left our horses and stole upon them as stealthily as we could. The picket guards were frightened several times, but we managed to reassure them. There is no well disciplined army of men more particular to have an old experienced guard on a close look out than a herd of buffaloes." After an exciting hunt they succeeded in getting only one cow. On the 8th they had a beautiful view of a herd of elk, but did not succeed in procuring any. On the 17th they organized a hunting expedition and succeeded in killing two buffaloes, which supplied them with meat for a short time.

On the 19th they were met by the police from Winter Quarters, who were led by Brother Hosea Stout. These brethren escorted the pioneer company back, and they all arrived on the banks of the Missouri, October 31st, 1847. A few days previous to Brother Woodruff's arrival, Sister Woodruff had given birth to a daughter. Mother and child were doing well, and all were cheerful and happy.

The eventful year of 1847 was now drawing to a close, and ere it became merged into eternity, one more great event had been catalogued in the great book of God's purpose for fulfillment. On December 5th in a council held at Elder Orson Hyde's, President Brigham Young was chosen and sustained by the counsel to be the President, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his first and second counselors. {326} Father John Smith, uncle to the Prophet Joseph, was chosen the following day to be the Presiding Patriarch of the Church. This action was ratified by the unanimous vote of the general conference held in the Log Tabernacle, December 27th, 1847. About 1,000 souls were assembled, and with one united vote sustained these brethren in the First Presidency, and in the Patriarchal office of the Church.

The Apostles present at the council and the conference were Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Amasa Lyman, and Ezra T. Benson. Of the event, President Woodruff wrote in his journal:

"From President Young's teachings we learned that it was necessary to keep up a full organization of the Church, through all time, as far as could be, at least the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, Seventies, and Patriarchs, over the whole Church."

The affairs of the Saints at Winter Quarters were prosperous, and prospects bright for the New Year.

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30. A MISSION TO THE EAST, 1848

In Winter Quarters.--Battle of Nauvoo Commemorated.--Organization of Pottowatamie County.--Bids President Young and Saints Good-by.--Journey from Winter Quarters to Nauvoo.--From Nauvoo to Maine.--A Letter to His Wife.--Healing the Sick.--Discovery of Gold in California.

During the first three months of the year 1848, Apostle Woodruff devoted himself to the usual routine of business incident to frontier life. They were laying the foundations of a commonwealth and strengthening the religious organizations which were to play an important part in the social and religious life of the people. There were frequent meetings of the Twelve and the Presidency, and the future aspects of both the people and the country were under daily consideration.

It was during the early part of this year that petitions were sent to the Iowa Legislature, one asking for a county on the Pottawatomie tract of land, and the other for a post-office. Elder Henry Miller was the bearer of these petitions. About the same time the question of a disposition of the Nauvoo Temple came up, owing to the recent arrival from that city of Almon Babbit, Hyrum Kimball, and John Snyder. President Young was firm in his view that the Temple there should not be sold.

The battle of Nauvoo, which had been fought on September 12th, 1846, was commemorated on this anniversary by those who had taken part in the engagement. They wore a red badge on the left arm, as they had done during the contest, to distinguish them from their enemies. The disparity in numbers between the Latter-day Saints and their enemies,--about 100 of the former and between eight and ten hundred of the latter--was so great that the Saints felt that they had been the recipients of Divine favor, especially in view of the fact that only three of their number had been lost.

About the middle of the same month, Orson Hyde returned from the East. News also came at the same time of the success which the missionary work in Wales was achieving, principally {328} through the labors of Captain Dan Jones. While the opposition there was intense, the struggle redounded to the spread of the Gospel and the increase of Saints through baptism.

March 1st was the 41st anniversary of Wilford Woodruff's life. A few days later, on the night of March 15th, he records a remarkable dream in which he passed in spirit through the air from state to state, escaped from his enemies and passed on to heaven. "I saw," he says, "Joseph and Hyrum and many others of the Latter-day Saints who had died. The innumerable company of souls which I saw seemed to be preparing for some grand and important event which I could not understand. Many were engaged in making crowns for the Saints. They were all dressed in white robes, both male and female."

About this time Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal the death of John Quincy Adams, and made special mention of the death of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, men in whose life and attainments he had taken great interest. His life was not confined to the limits of his personal activity, as he took a deep interest in all that was going on throughout the world.

On the 27th of March, the leaders of the Church met in council for the purpose of establishing a political organization of Pottawattamie County. The relations of the Church to political questions were carefully considered, and from the outset it was determined to keep separate the religious and political organizations of the new county which they were bringing into existence. They were a religious body of men in whose minds religious influences were dominant. It would have been the most natural thing, perhaps, in the world, for them to establish a politico-ecclesiastical government; however, they recognized from the outset, the constitution of their country, respected the forms of civil government, and so separated it from their religious organizations that non-Mormons who should thereafter settle in their midst, might enjoy with perfect freedom their political rights. This, however, did not mean as some non-Mormons thought it ought to mean, that they should be elected to office, and the failure to recognize them became a source of disturbance.

As the time for holding the annual conference for April approached, there appeared before the leaders several Pawnee chiefs asking in behalf of their people who were starving for food, {329} for one hundred bushels of corn. The request was granted, the corn loaded upon the backs of the mules belonging to the Indians, who returned to their people with feelings of joy and appreciation. The spirit begotten by such an act of generosity opened the hearts of the Saints for the enjoyment of their conference, and fitted them more perfectly for the worship of God. President Young commented upon the organization of the Presidency which he said might have been effected the first conference after the Prophet's death, but it was not wisdom to do so. The authority and keys had been committed to the Twelve, and the Saints in following Brigham Young and the Quorum of which he was president, fully demonstrated their spirit to discern where the presiding authority of the Church was to be found. The interval between the death of the Prophet and the organization of the new Presidency gave the Saints ample opportunity by experience to confirm their belief in the leadership of President Young and his council. Before the conference closed, officers of the high priests and elder's quorum where chosen, also a high council for the Church in Pottawatamie County.

Special attention was also given at that time to the condition of the poor, particularly to the families of the soldiers who had enlisted in the Mormon Battalion. A special committee was appointed to locate the poor and provide for their wants. A call was made for teams and wagons, and a hearty response was given. After the conference, Philo Dibble exhibited his paintings of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and of Joseph's last address to the Nauvoo Legion. There are many of the present generation who will remember Elder Dibble's efforts to preserve and disseminate the early history of the Church by exhibitions of his art, which he gave for the benefit of the Saints for many years throughout the stakes of Zion.

Soon after the close of conference three of the Battalion boys arrived from Salt Lake Valley, popularly know as "The Valley," and gave encouraging reports from the Saints there. They brought with them letters to the families that remained in Winter Quarters. At about this time an effort was made to move the bodies of the dead to a new cemetery which had been selected. The graves of many were so marked that they might be identified in years to come. There, two of Wilford Woodruff's sons, {330} Joseph and Ezra, were buried in a grave designated No. 34, and marked "J. E. W."

While the spirit of gathering to their new found home in the tops of the mountains was uppermost in the minds of those at Winter Quarters, the leaders kept constantly before them their mission of carrying the message of the new revelation to the nations of the earth. Apostle Woodruff was preparing for a mission to the East, and Orson Pratt, to England. These men were specially fitted by nature and experience for missionary work, and their talents were fully recognized and made use of. At the same time President Young was making preparations for another journey across the plains to Salt Lake Valley.

These were busy days at Winter Quarters. All were full of hope and grand expectations. On Sunday, April 14th, President Young in an address prophesied that the Saints would never be driven from the Rocky Mountains, unless they were guilty of insurrection among themselves, and he had no fear of that. In the midst of preparations, a steam-boat arrived on the Missouri River at Winter Quarters loaded with groceries and general provisions needed by the people. The same steam-boat afforded Orson Pratt an opportunity to embark on his mission to England. A few days later another steamer came with 150 Saints from England. These were accompanied by Elders Franklin D. and Samuel W. Richards on their return from the British mission.

On Friday the 26th day of May, 1848, President Young began his second journey to the Rocky Mountains. Elder Woodruff writes: "In company with Orson Hyde, E. T. Benson, and others, on the 22nd of June, I rode out to the Horn to meet Presidents Young and Kimball and the Camp of Israel. We found on our arrival that all had crossed, and that Lorenzo Snow and Zera Pulsipher, captains of hundreds, had gone on, each with his hundred. There were about 600 wagons in all and they made a grand encampment--a beautiful sight, indeed. I spent a little time with President Young; went through the camp, and on the following day bade good-bye to the Saints and returned to Winter Quarters."

The efforts to provide the necessary equipments for this second exodus across the plains brought its hardship to those who remained. The latter were without sufficient means to meet {331} their wants. President Richards was at this time sick and in straightened circumstances, so that he was unable to accompany the Saints on their westward journey.

Those who remained were naturally weakened in their ability to defend themselves by the departure of the strongest--those best able to endure the journey. They naturally feared their weakened condition and the danger from Indians, to which they were subjected. On the 14th there was a bugle sound "To arms!" The report came that the Indians were coming upon the people. The alarm, however, was not justified, although the people were greatly disturbed in their feelings by such excitement.

It was distinctly the Indian's country in those days, and the Saints had no one but themselves to look to for protection. The forces of the United States government were then engaged in Mexico. It is interesting at this point to observe that where the city of Omaha now stands the Saints were once busily engaged cultivating the soil and providing means for their expected journey westward, although Winter Quarters was a few miles north from the present site of Omaha.

On June 21st, 1848, Elder Woodruff with his family, and several others, eleven in all, started upon his Eastern mission. They first went to Mt. Pisgah where they found a number of the Saints to whom they preached. There would naturally be some misgiving as to the faith and continuity of those who remained some distance in the rear of the Saints, those who were unwilling to follow the lead of President Young and the Twelve would naturally discourage the more timid ones.

It was during this journey, and on the 5th of July, that Elder Woodruff records a miraculous escape by one of those spiritual impressions that frequently came across his life. He had tied his mules to an oak-wood tree beside which he was camping. His children were sleeping in the wagon, and he felt impressed to move from his camping-ground, so he moved his children into a house. Only a short time elapsed when a thunder-storm swept over the place in great fury. Of the circumstance he writes: "We had just retired when the storm reached us in great fury, and in a moment the large oak came thundering down to the ground with a terrific crash. Had I not moved my mules, it would probably have killed them. Had I not moved my carriage, it would have {332} been crushed to atoms, and we would have been killed, as the tree fell where my carriage stood. It just missed Brother Kingsley's wagon. I consider my impression an interposition of Providence to save our lives."

On the 9th, they arrived at Nauvoo and went through the Temple from basement to steeple, and again gazed on the once beautiful, but now desolate city of Nauvoo. While at the city, in the home of Almon Babbit, Elder Woodruff met a man who had come from Michigan to hear the gospel, and to whom he preached for one hour and then led him down into the waters of the Mississippi. During the same day, in a house built by George A. Smith, and occupied by Elder John Snyder, he confirmed the man whom he had just baptized and ordained him an elder and sent him on his way rejoicing.

Before leaving Nauvoo on his eastward journey, he sold his mules, carriage and harness and took steamer down the river to St. Louis. From this point Elder Woodruff boarded a steamer for La Salle, Illinois, and thence to Louisville, where he visited his brother-in-law and sister, Luther and Rhoda Scammon. Here death, for the fourth time, entered his family circle and called to the spirit world an infant of nine months.

Here Elder Woodruff's industrious nature asserted itself, and he went into the wheat field pitching bundles of grain. After leaving his kinsmen he continued his journey by wagon, rivers, lakes, and railways via Chicago and arrived in Boston on August 12th, 1848. The journey, by the route which he had taken from Council Bluffs, covered a distance of 2,595 miles. He remained some time preaching the gospel at Boston and then continued his journey to Portland, Maine. From there he went to Scarboro where he met other relations. It was a happy reunion after a separation of eight years.

The return of Apostle Woodruff to the East would naturally awaken within him the keenest satisfaction over the opportunity it afforded to meet, after years of strenuous life and marvelous adventure, old friends and kinsmen. To them, his affections first turned, and he told all the wonderful things which God had wrought in the gathering of the Saints to the Valleys of the Mountains. From Maine he returned to Boston, went on to New York, and a little later took up his labors in Philadelphia. {333} It was here he called on Colonel Kane, a tried and true friend to the Mormon people in the hour of their sorrow. By Colonel Kane he was most cordially welcomed.

To his wife who remained with her people in Maine, he wrote on October 18th, 1848, this very significant letter: "I have been much blessed by the spirit of God since I saw you. I have felt more of the presence and power of God in me than I expected to enjoy on this Eastern mission. I have felt that someone has prayed for me much of late. I wonder if it was Phoebe! I know how often you pray for me, and I feel its power and prize it much. I have never felt such a desire to prove worthy of your confidence and trust, and shun every appearance of evil, keep out of the path of all temptation, and do right in all things. I have had much of the spirit of secret prayer, have poured out my soul in supplication to God with tears of joy, and at the same time the visions of my mind have been opened so that I saw clearly my duty to my God, to my wife, to my children, to the Saints, and to the world at large. I have also seen the awful and certain judgments of God, which like a gathering storm are ready to burst upon the whole Gentile world, especially this nation which has heard the sound of the gospel but rejected it, together with the testimony of the servants of God; has stoned and killed the prophets; has become drunk with the blood of martyrs and Saints; and finally has driven the entire Church with the priesthood and keys of eternal life out of its midst into the wilderness and mountains of Israel."

At New Haven, on the 21st, a remarkable case of healing occurred, of which Elder Woodruff writes as follows: "A sister Turtle was very low with yellow fever. Some of Job's comforters had called upon her and reproached her for being a Latter-day Saint, and had asked her why she did not get her elders to heal her. While under this strain and reproach she cried out, 'O, that the Lord would send Brother Woodruff here!' It was only a few moments before she received a note from me saying that I was coming to see her. When I came, we laid hands upon her and she was healed, and I returned home praising God. The following day, Sunday, Mr. Smith Turtle and his wife, who had been healed the day before, were present in our meeting.

"On the 23rd of October, 1848, I ordained Jairus Sanford {334} a high priest. He was nearly 86 years of age. He had been liberal with his means and faithful in his duties. I left the aged patriarch rejoicing in God and went on my way to North Haven."

On the 25th of October, Elder Woodruff arrived in Boston by rail and found himself in the midst of a grand demonstration. The people were celebrating the inauguration of a new water system by which the water of the Long Pond was conveyed into the city of Boston. The procession covered a distance of seven miles, requiring two and a half hours to pass any given point. Of that occasion Elder Woodruff writes: "At the close of the speeches the mayor arose and said: 'Fellow citizens, it is proposed that the water of Lake Cochitreate be admitted into the city of Boston. All those who favor it say, 'aye.' The response was in a voice of thunder. At a given signal a column of water 8 feet in diameter shot up 80 feet in the air and fell into a great reservoir." In the evening there were fire-works and other illuminations. This was considered at this time the grandest celebration ever witnessed in any American city.

On the following day, October 26th, Elder Woodruff went to New Bedford with Brother Nathaniel Coray. It was there he read with feelings of deep sorrow the burning of the Nauvoo Temple by a mob. He then went to Maine where he had parted from his wife earlier in the year, and returned with her to Cambridgeport on the 17th of November. Here he took a house for his family, and finished the labors of the year in Boston and its vicinity. Here he compiled a brief account of the current events among the nations of the earth. He read history in the light of God's recent revelations, and out of it he extracted the signs of the times.

The year had been a trying one to the Saints in Utah who were greatly distressed because of the cricket plague, from which, however, they were measurably relieved by the miraculous destruction of these insects by the sea-gulls.

Gold had been discovered in California by members of the Mormon Battalion, and by others, a circumstance which created a feverish excitement throughout the Eastern States. The rush to California again brought the Saints in Utah into conspicuous relations with the outside world. That meant financial relief to the people in Salt Lake City.

{335} In his journal he records the fact that Captain Dan Jones by his labors in Wales was adding to the Church many persons each month. Elder Orson Spencer gave very encouraging accounts of the work throughout the British Isles.

It was at this time that Almon Babbit called upon Elder Woodruff and sought to induce him to go to Washington for the purpose of accomplishing certain things which he said would be favorable to the Latter-day Saints. "After hearing him, I concluded that he was working on his own account and without the counsel of the President of the Church. I therefore concluded that my health, calling, and the spirit within me would not permit me to leave the mission upon which I was sent, to go to Washington." Subsequent events proved the correctness of his impressions.

Concerning the events of the year he remarks: "At home new towns were laid out, both to the north and south of Salt Lake City. Elders were arriving from the Sandwich Islands. Walker, the Indian chief, visited the Saints in the Valley and expressed friendship for them and his antipathy toward the Spanish. Brothers Brown, Browett, Allen, and Cox were killed by the Indians in the California mountains, while they were exploring the country. These brethren I baptized in Herefordshire soon after I commenced preaching at John Benbow's. Brother Browett had been an especially earnest, true Latter-day Saint, and I know nothing to the contrary of the others. They went into the army as soldiers in the Mormon Battalion and died in the cause of their country."

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31. ELDER WOODRUFF'S RETURN FROM THE EAST

Letter to Orson Pratt.--Baptism of His Father-in-law, Ezra Carter.--Labors in New England.--Meets Dr. John M. Bernhisel.--Healing the Sick.--Interview with Col. Kane.--Hears Indian Chief.--Release from His Mission.--Return to the Valleys.--Conditions at the Frontier.--Stampede on the Plains.--Brigham Young Appointed Governor.--Salt Lake Temple Planned.--Salt Lake City Given a Charter.--Visit to the Southern Settlements.--Fourth Celebrated at Black Rock.--Celebrating of Twenty-fourth.--Death of His Stepmother.--Judge Brocchus Speaks in Conference.--Beautiful Words of Patriarch John Smith.--A Vote To Discontinue Use of Tea and Coffee.

The beginning of the year 1849 found Wilford Woodruff actively at work in the spread of the gospel. It was a glorious message which he was bearing to the people of the East, and he gave to it all the ardor of his intensely religious nature. Nor was he less concerned about the integrity and devotion of his wife to the faith they had espoused. His family was carefully instructed in the duties and sacraments of the Church. On the 15th of the month he wrote a lengthy letter to President Young and Council in which he reported his travels and labors. He prepared a historical sketch for the historian's office, and wrote to Orson Pratt, who was presiding over the British mission, as follows: "I am 42 years old today, March the 1st, 1849. How peculiar such figures look to a man while counting up his years in this probation. The very sight of them crowds on to his mind a flood of thoughts more than tongue can utter or pen describe. The last sixteen years of my life have been passed endeavoring to preach the gospel and build up the Kingdom of God in association with my brethren. The past is gone, I have no desire to recall it. I would not wish to live my life over again if I could. I feel like looking forward and not backward.

"While the Jews were high-minded and in the height of their power, the Son of God, in lamb-like meekness, bowed to the ordinance of baptism and all other rites of the gospel and commandments of His Father. He was looking forward to a time when He {337} should make His second visit to His brethren after having overcome death and the grave. At the present day, while emperors, princes, kings, lords, nobles, and great men of the world have been making a wonderful effort to maintain their dignity, and appear to good advantage before the world, many of the noblest spirits that ever dwelt in the flesh, like Jesus and the Apostles, have been meekly submitting to the ordinances of the gospel, and like little children have submitted to the authority of the holy priesthood."

During the month of March Elder Woodruff visited Cape Cod, preaching to the Saints and strangers, the latter including sea-captains, sailors, and fishermen. There he also organized a branch of the Church with 21 members. Upon his return home to Cambridgeport, he found his father-in-law, Ezra Carter Sr., awaiting him. On the 22nd of March Father Carter was baptized, his wife having received the gospel before this. Elder Woodruff records these events as the fulfillment of prophecy by Father Jos. Smith, the patriarch, who, in blessing him and his wife years before, promised that their household should receive the gospel and stand with them in the Church. Elder Carter lived to be 96 years of age. His old home, in a beautiful rural district of southern Maine, still stands. It is near the roadside as you go from Saco to Portland.

On the 12th of April he started a company of Saints for Zion. There were 71 all told, 50 of whom were from Philadelphia. From Philadelphia he visited Saints in the neighboring towns. At Hornerstown he baptized three members of the Woolf family. They had been believers for a number of years, having been visited by the Prophet and a number of the Twelve. Leaving Pennsylvania he traveled through New Jersey to New York where he met T. D. Brown, just returning from England. From New York he went on to Cambridgeport to his family.

After journalizing the calamities occurring in St. Louis, New Orleans, California, and other parts of the world, Elder Woodruff started on a visit to Fox Islands where he had introduced the gospel twelve years before, having baptized nearly one hundred people. He passed many weeks on the Islands but with much less success than upon the first mission there. From here he went to New Brunswick, Canada, performing a large part of the {338} journey on foot. One day he walked 35 miles, carrying a heavy load part of the distance.

Arriving at the ferry of Beauburs Island, he crossed in a boat and walked a mile through a pleasant grove to the home of Elder Joseph Russell, who for eleven years had been the owner of the entire island, which is a mile and a half in length, by a half a mile in width. Elder Russell was a ship-builder and had constructed 23 ships with a tonnage of 650 tons each. He was a man of considerable wealth, worth at that time, at a low estimate, $30,000. He was liberal with his means and faithful in the discharge of his duties to the Church. At that place there was a small branch of the Church over which he presided.

On the 28th he went with Elder Russell and son to Bedque. While here he received word that Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, and Franklin D. Richards had been chosen members of the Twelve Apostles.

On the 5th of August, Elder Woodruff set out upon his return to Cambridgeport, Elder Russell having first contributed $1,500 with which to aid the Church in its newly chosen home. He remained but a short time at home, when he started for Fall River and New Bedford to visit the Saints in those places. On his return from his trip to the South, he met at Cambridgeport, Dr. John M. Bernhisel, who, after giving an account of affairs in the Valleys, informed Elder Woodruff that he had come to Washington as our representative, bearing a petition for a Territorial Government.

Under date of July 25th, 1849, the President of the Church wrote Brother Woodruff a statement of conditions of the Church in the Valleys and expressed their desire to be admitted into the Union as a sovereign state. In that letter the President remarked: "The next time that you encounter the hardships, privations, and toil over the plains and mountains, you will meet with a very different reception from that which you did on your first arrival here. Friends will greet you, the products of the earth will be administered for your comfort. We shall be very happy to see you again."

During the remainder of the year 1849, Elder Woodruff visited the eastern branches, preaching the gospel and comforting all who would listen. In Cape Cod an aged lady of 84 years was {339} instantly healed by his administrations. She immediately arose from her bed of sickness and went about her work.

He again went to Philadelphia where he had several visits with Colonel Kane with whom he talked over the situation relative to a Territorial Government. The following he quotes as the words of Col. Kane: "I applied, according to the wish of President Young for a Territorial Government, and had my last, sad, and painful interview with President Polk. I found he was not disposed to favor your people, and had men of his own stamp picked out to serve as governor and in other positions, many of whom would oppress you in any way simply to fill their own pockets. President Polk was unwilling to appoint men among yourselves, and I saw it was absolutely necessary to have officers of your own people to govern you, otherwise you would be better off without any government at all. It was necessary for me to use my discretion and I therefore withdrew the petition."

On December 3rd, he paid a visit to Gerard College of Philadelphia. On the 15th of the month he attended a meeting there where a Mr. Koh-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bow, chief of the Ozebwa nation, delivered a lengthy and spirited address in behalf of the American Indians, in which he appealed to the citizens to induce the government to give the Indians a territory they could call their own, and to forbid the encroachment thereon of the whites. He censured the white men in no uncertain terms for their pretended Christianity and religious professions, while in reality they were filled with deceit, hypocrisy, and wickedness.

The year 1850 witnessed a change in the character of Elder Woodruff's labors. Missionary work was in harmony, not only with his spiritual nature, but with the grand conceptions which he entertained for the future of the Church with which he had associated himself. Upon his return from Cambridgeport, he received a letter from the Presidency in which he was required to return to the Valley, and to bring with him all the Saints he could gather, and such means as could be collected from their properties and from contributions in the East. The Saints in the Valleys of the Mountains were so far removed from manufacturing centers that they felt the necessity of home manufacture, especially in the establishment of woolen and cotton factories in order that they might be self-supporting. The New England states {340} where Elders Woodruff's labors had been directed contained many factories, and it was the operatives from these factories whose services would be needed in the new enterprises at home.

On the 2nd of March, he went to Maine where arrangements were made to gather with him to the Valleys of the Mountains his wife's people. His wife's brother, Ilus F. Carter, had bought ten wagon loads of merchandise which was sent with Elder Woodruff. Mr. Carter, however, returned from the Missouri River to his home in Maine on account of ill health. A number of the brethren had engaged in gold-mining in California and sent money to their friends in the East to assist them in their emigration. The manufactured products of the East were greatly needed by the Saints in the Valleys, and the money sent from California became very helpful in providing a stock of goods that would contribute to the comfort of the earlier settlers whose supply of clothing by this time was almost entirely depleted.

On the 23rd of March, Elder Orson Pratt arrived from England on business, intending to return before going to the Valleys. He found Elder Woodruff busily occupied in the purchase of such merchandise as would be most helpful to those who had gathered. About the same time, Elder John Taylor and Curtis E. Bolton were on their way to France; Lorenzo Snow and Joseph Toronto to Italy; Erastus Snow and Peter Hanson to Denmark; Franklin D. Richards and several others to England. Elder Erastus Snow sailed from Boston to his field of labor on April 3rd.

By the 9th of the month, Wilford Woodruff with his family and relatives, and with about 100 other Saints left for New York where they were joined by another 100, making all told 209 people. Their baggage amounted to 42,000 lbs. On their way to Pittsburg, they passed through Philadelphia. At the former place they secured passage to St. Louis where they arrived on the 1st day of May. From St. Louis to Council Bluffs they took passage on the steamer, Sacramento. They left St. Joseph on the 12th of May and Ft. Kearney on the 15th, and the following day Elder Woodruff went to Kanesville to visit Elder Orson Hyde. On this journey they were accompanied by Elder Orson Pratt.

This frontier town was a busy place in those days. The Saints were constantly coming and going, and the people were generally in a state of excitement, and the very nature of the circumstances {341} gave rise to some discontent. The well-to-do hurried on to the Valleys, and the poor were left to make such arrangements as they could for present support and their future emigration to the Zion of their God. Provision, of course, for the emigration of the poor was made wherever possible, but yet their numbers were so great as to bring distress to the people of Kanesville. President Woodruff explained that he had received counsel from the Presidency to stretch out his arms and gather all he possibly could to Zion. He had baptized, while on this mission, about 200 people. Every effort was made to pacify those who were discontented in this frontier town. The fact, however, that the authorities had instructed him to gather all he could was the guiding motive in bringing with him to Kanesville the poor, as well as those who were in fairly good circumstances.

Elder Woodruff, when counsel came to him, never quibbled, never doubted, never stopped to ask his file-leaders the whys and the wherefores. He was like Adam when the angel said to him: "Adam, why dost thou offer sacrifice?" And he answered, "I know not save that God has commanded me." He was also like Nephi of old who uttered the memorable saying: "For I know that the Lord giveth no command unto the children of men save that He shall prepare the way for them to accomplish the thing which He commandeth them."

On the 21st of May the company starting to Zion was organized into hundreds, fifties, and tens with a captain over each. Robert Petty, Leonard W. Hardy, Edson Whipple, Joseph Hall, James Currier, Miner Atwood, and two others whose names are not given, were appointed captains. Some of the teamsters of this company did not belong to the Church, and in time became unruly. The ring-leader, however, was discharged, and later the others also. On the 9th of July, Lucy Johnson, Matilda Hardy, a Sister Snow, and Emily Huntington died. Deaths this year, 1850, on the plains were frequent and Elder Woodruff's company suffered with others. On the day following, Elder Woodruff baptized fourteen in the Platte River, among them his wife's niece, Sarah E. Foss. On the 15th, a few days later, a severe thunder storm arose and Brother Ridge, from Staffordshire, England, and his oxen were killed by lightning.

The 30th of the month witnessed one of those scenes not {342} uncommon to the plains in the early days of emigration by ox teams. Those who have not witnessed a stampede can hardly imagine the scenes of confusion and dangers to which it gives rise. There were often thirty or forty teams close together. These teams consisted of from two to five yoke of oxen. The wagons they drew were loaded with women, children, and merchandise. The stampede generally took place without a moment's warning and the cattle ran in all directions.

Writing of this scene Elder Woodruff says: "Our stampede commenced in the following manner. While my son Wilford was mounting his horse, William Murphy struck the horse with a whip which started him to run. Wilford was thrown over the horse's head to the ground. The saddle turned under the horse and as a result he ran away. As he approached one of the wagons, a Mr. Cannon's team became frantic and started off at a great speed. In a moment twenty or thirty teams followed the first that stampeded and the whole company was rushing apparently onward into the jaws of death. On my carriage was a fine black steed, and in it were Rhoda Foss and Susan Woodruff. We were at the head of the company, and when the stampede commenced, I was by the side of my carriage. I saw Mrs. Woodruff rush into the midst of the scene with many other women and children. Their lives were in constant danger. I told Rhoda to let my horse run into the bluffs, and do the best she could. I gave him a cut to start him on to a run and left them to the care of Providence. I then rushed into the midst of the stampede in order to save the lives of my wife and as many others as possible, but I had hard work to save even my own life. Mrs. Woodruff soon found an opening and fled out of the midst of the scene. Brother Petty's wagons were turned over. My family wagon with four yoke of oxen ran over one of his wagons, and a wagon ran over one of his children. Prescott Hardy was knocked down by his own team and badly injured in the thigh and arm. Wherever I saw women and children in danger, I did what I could to rescue them. However, only little can be done at such times, and each one must dodge the best he can to save his life if possible.

"When I found I could do no more, I ran forward to see what condition my family carriage and wagon were in. I found {343} my noble horse still running, but on three legs. One of the ox-teams had run on to the horse and carriage, bent one of the axles and smashed one of the horse's legs. Rhoda was thrown out of the carriage and Susan was lying upon her back with her feet hanging out between the wheels. She held on, however, till I came and rescued my daughter. Later I had to shoot my horse to put him out of his misery. It was very painful to have to do so. It was a miracle that no one was killed, and there was really but little damage done to oxen and wagons."

Barring some break-downs and delays, the company arrived in Salt Lake City, October 14, 1850. Soon after their arrival, Elder Woodruff moved from the old Fort into his house near Temple Block. He was also occupied in disposing of ten loads of merchandise sent out to the Valley by his brother-in-law, Ilus F. Carter. In the Council he read to the brethren the speech of Mr. Copway (Koh-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bow), the Indian chief, and the views of Col. Kane on the government of Deseret.

Wilford Woodruff's work at this time as a missionary had given him distinction and he was frequently regarded by his brethren as the "Herald of the Gospel." The following winter two vacancies occurred in the legislature by the death of Newell K. Whitney and Cornelius P. Lott. Governor Young appointed Elders Woodruff and Charles C. Rich to fill these vacancies, and thus began the experiences of Elder Woodruff as a legislator.

The new year, 1851, witnessed the dedication of a new school house in the Fourteenth Ward of Salt Lake City--the ward in which Elder Woodruff first located and where he built his home on what was subsequently known as the old Valley House corner. The people were poor in those days, but they nevertheless did all that a community could under similar circumstances to promote education. They needed both schoolhouses and meeting-houses, but their condition generally compelled them to make one building answer a double purpose.

The country to which the Saints had come was a wilderness, and the surroundings of the people were such that it was not always easy to keep men and women under proper restraint, especially young men who in a wild country naturally were prone to be uncouth and sometimes profane in their language. The Puritan spirit of the early pioneers was so intense that an effort was made {344} to check evils in their incipiency and to wage a crusade against them as fast as they made their appearance. Profanity was one of the evils that could not be endured. The Authorities on the 12th of January, in a congregation of the Saints, called attention to the use of such language, and the whole congregation voted to "put down swearing" throughout the City and the Territory. Into the reform movement, Elder Woodruff threw all his energies and preached with all the ardor of his soul against the improper use of words that profaned the name of Deity.

The time had come to erect another temple for the holy ordinances that are peculiar and confined to that sacred structure. The work should be begun as far as possible with the absence of every semblance of evil; and on January 19, President Young announced to the congregation assembled that the time had arrived for the erection of a temple. Truman O. Angel was appointed architect, and during the day plans for the new Temple were submitted for inspection in the Seventies' Hall. That building now stands on State street in a good state of preservation.

On the 28th, news of the appointment of President Young to be the first governor of Utah reached the people. This appointment gave universal satisfaction. When the news came, President Young was about fifteen miles north of the city. The leaders and a band went out to meet him; and upon his arrival in the city, he was welcomed by a salute of ten guns.

About this time, on February 2nd, a pretender arose who styled himself Elijah, and a Mr. Bateman spoke for about 9 minutes in his behalf. The new Elijah, however, received no encouragement.

It was about the same time also that there began those regular weekly meetings of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles which have continued to the present time. The object was to keep the Twelve in harmony with one another, that each might know what the other was doing, that there might be uniformity, and that they might be actuated by a spirit of unity.

Early in February of that year, the legislature granted a charter to the community that was to be known as a municipal organization under the name of Salt Lake City. Concerning the charter President Woodruff writes that President Young said: "We do not want the Church to pass laws to punish crime, but {345} to try members only on questions of Church fellowship. If the members transgress the laws of the land, turn them over to the authorities of the land. We want to protect the Church also in its rites of worship and protect every other sect that comes here. When the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, will their people all be members of the Church of Jesus Christ by obeying the Gospel? No, not one-eighth part of them. No more than a telestial kingdom is a celestial one, and they stand in about the same relation to each other."

Elder Woodruff, on the 23rd of April, in company with a party of about forty men with twenty wagons entered Utah Valley. This was his first visit to the settlements there. He met the Indian chief Walker. He thought him rather an ugly looking specimen for an Indian chief. Later on the company reached Sanpete valley. Here there were about one hundred families located. These families were engaged in farming. They had erected a schoolhouse and had commenced a council house.

Passing on from Sanpete, the company went through Sevier Valley to Marysvale and on to Cedar City. "We passed over the worst road the last few days that I ever knew. We had to draw our wagons up and let them down with ropes in places where the roads were so bad, and at places the slant was so great that we had to hold our wagons up to keep them from turning over." In the valley near Cedar City the company was met by President George A. Smith who at that time had charge of the southern settlements. The settlers had been there only three months. They had enclosed a fort of 19 acres, plowed and sown 1,000 acres with wheat, had fenced 600 acres, built a sawmill, and erected the first story of their council house. The little community welcomed President Young and party by the firing of a cannon and by waving the stars and stripes. This small settlement of pioneers had about one hundred men.

The discovery of coal and iron ore in the vicinity of Cedar City awakened in the Latter-day Saints a special desire to establish iron foundries. Men had been called to this work as a mission. Among the one hundred, there were perhaps thirty who were discontented. Part of them desired to return to Salt Lake City to get their families, and others to abandon the mission at Cedar {346} entirely. Apostle Woodruff records the following words of President Young to these men: "If you were now on a mission to France or England or to any other part of the earth, you would not sit down and counsel together about going to get your families, or about going home till your mission was ended. This is of quite as much importance as preaching the Gospel. The time is now come when it is required of us to make the wilderness blossom as the rose. Our mission is now to build up stakes of Zion and fill these mountains with cities, and when your mission is ended you are at liberty to go. Only do what is right. When I go on a mission, I leave my affairs in the hand of God. If my house, flocks, or fields are lost in my absence; if my wife or children die, I say, Amen, to it. If they live, I say, Amen, to that and thank the Lord." The words of President Young removed much of the discontent and most of them remained to fill their mission in honor.

In speaking at this time of the Indians in that section the President said: "These Indians are the descendants of the Gadianton robbers who infested these mountains for more than a thousand years." At the conclusion of this visit, the party returned to Salt Lake City which they reached on the 24th of May, 1851.

Elder Woodruff's journal contains many of the discourses preached by President Young in those days on subjects of practical religion, home industry, prayer, financial integrity, farming, tithing, and kindred subjects. His talks contained just such subject matter as one would expect to hear from a leader whose mission it was to make the desert blossom as the rose. Elder Woodruff, here and there, used stenographic characters in making notes in his journal. He was not a stenographer, however, but he was so accustomed to writing the sermons in long hand that his memory was trained for the work, and a large measure of accuracy was given to these journalistic efforts.

To this work he had been called by President Young soon after the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum. The day would come when the details of that early history would be in great demand among those who would love to know the beginning of the work of God in this dispensation. "Some day," said President {347} Young, "I shall look to you for my journal." This work was so carefully done, and the devotion of Elder Woodruff was so great towards his brethren that one is impressed by the splendid fidelity with which he honored the call.

On the Fourth of July of 1851 the Saints joined in a celebration at Black Rock on Salt Lake. "The procession was led by the general authorities with the Nauvoo Legion as an escort. It consisted of 140 wagons which reached Black Rock at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Patriotic speeches were made, and after the meeting, social pastimes were indulged in, and many enjoyed a bath in the lake. It was as pleasant a Fourth of July as I ever spent, and my family was with me. Next day we returned to Salt Lake City."

Those were happy days. The simplicity of their faith, the candor of their words, and the friendship of their lives produced a remarkable unity which in itself was both inspiring and joyful.

The Twenty-fourth of July was honored by a celebration. There was music by the Nauvoo brass band. The citizens came out in great numbers. There was a procession at the head of which the aged fathers and mothers were placed--men and women whose frames were shaped by the hardships and struggles of those early days. The procession ended at the bowery where there were speeches, instrumental music and singing. "The songs of Zion were sung not in a strange land, nor were our harps hung upon the willows. The shades of evening came over the city and there had been no accident to mar the proceedings of that hallowed day. There were no curses, no drinking, no rabble, no strife to mar the occasion." There was, perhaps, a little Church mixed up with the State in those days. Men had conceived the idea that God should be honored as much in the administration of civil as of religious affairs.

The harvest season followed the Twenty-fourth and Elder Woodruff was as enthusiastic and energetic on the farm as he was in a celebration or as he was in preaching the Gospel abroad. He was a model of industry. His little twenty-acre farm just south of the city was under a high state of cultivation. With a cradle in his hands, he went to the work of the harvest with singular pleasure. His restless nature often carried him beyond {348} his strength, but he loved to work. He always worked, and with him one kind of work was as honorable as another; for God honored honest toil.

At his home on the farm, there lived with him his aged father. The stepmother had remained with her daughter in Iowa. About this time, he received word that she had died on the 20th of March and that his brother Azmon's wife had also died on the 3rd of January of that year. His brother also wrote him relating the sorrow and trouble he had encountered ever since he had left the Church. His letter bore evidence of humiliation and repentance, much to the joy of his faithful brother Wilford.

On the 7th of September, there was a general conference of the Church. After addressing the Saints upon practical affairs and the daily duties of life, President Young said: "No better man than Joseph Smith ever lived on this earth. Hear it, O, ye heavens, O, ye earth, and all men! It is my testimony that he was as good a man as ever lived, save Jesus." In harmony with these words, Willard Richards related his testimony to the mob in Carthage at the time of the Prophet's death to the effect that they were Prophets of God, and two of the best men that ever lived on earth.

During this conference, Judge Brocchus of the United States court in Utah, requested the privilege of speaking. The request was granted and he proceeded to cast unsavory reflections upon the character of the Saints. This President Young resented in strong terms. In the course of his remarks, the Prophet said to those who were going on missions: "Don't go and tell the people of different denominations that because their sins are not forgiven that they are always going to dwell in hell; for if they are honest, they will have a glory greater than many who carry the gospel to them. There are good people among all sects, Gentiles, Jews, and heathens. They act according to the best light they have. What is the condition of the people of this country? Light has come into the world, and many men love darkness rather than light. They reject that light, fight the prophets, and shed their blood. For this they will be damned."

At this conference N. H. Felt and John Banks were appointed traveling bishops. E. T. Benson, J. M. Grant, and Orson Hyde were called on a mission to Kanesville to gather out all the Saints {349} in that region. Elder Woodruff here records the remarks made by Patriarch John Smith, uncle of the Prophet, and father to President George A. Smith. He had been a member of the Church since 1832. "I was ordained an elder under the hands of Joseph Wakefield. The Smith family was called to bring forth this work. My team hauled the first load of stone for the erection of the Kirtland Temple. My son George A., drove that team. There were four brothers of us on the stand at Kirtland. I am now left alone. I was in jail with my nephews, Joseph and Hyrum, the night before they were killed. Next day three guns were snapped at me. I could not weep for a long time; when I could, I wept much. I have labored much from that day till this. Now pay your tithing, make your measures good when you sell anything, and fulfill all your covenants if they are properly made. Then we shall prosper in this Valley. I am an old man and cannot say much."

When the pioneers returned to Winter Quarters from Salt Lake Valley, father John Smith was left in charge of the Church here. He was a man of the utmost honor and of sterling integrity both to God and man. Three generations of this man have been apostles in the Church.

It was at this conference that all the brethren and sisters voted to discontinue the use of tea, coffee, and tobacco. It was then adjourned until October 6th.

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32. THE YEARS, 1852, '53, '54

Discourse of Brigham Young on Sin.--The Descendants of Cain.--Edward Hunter Chosen Presiding Bishop.--Parowan Stake Organized.--David Patten.--Talk on Dancing.--Death of Willard Richards.--Jedediah M. Grant Chosen Counselor to Brigham Young.--Journey South.--Walker, the Indian Chief.--John Smith, Son of Hyrum Smith, Called To Be the Head Patriarch of the Church.--Visit North.--Legislature.--Philosophical Society.

The beginning of the year 1852 found Elder Woodruff actively engaged in the legislative business of the new Territory. There was much to be done. The foundation of a new commonwealth was being laid, and the principles of civil government were emphasized and kept separate from the religious organization. About three years and a half had elapsed since the pioneers entered Salt Lake Valley. In 1852 the census showed that there were all told in Utah, 11,354 souls. Counties were established with proper organizations, and judges appointed for the administration of laws therein.

Elder Woodruff kept in his journals the civil and religious movements of those early days. Extracts from prominent sermons were written, especially those delivered by President Young. The following is a partial extract of a discourse by him on the subject of Sin. "If you sin against God, go to Him for forgiveness, if that sin is not unto death. There is a sin unto death which we are told we need not pray to have forgiven. If you sin against your brother, go to him for forgiveness. Ask forgiveness at the hands of the innocent. If you sin against your family, your parents, your husband, your wife, or your children, seek forgiveness at their hands; for what is done in secret, He will forgive in secret. In seeking forgiveness for sins that are secret, go no farther than is necessary to be forgiven of God. But where sins are committed openly, forgiveness should be sought openly."

The Saints had not forgotten the troubles which their shortcomings and neglect of the things of God had brought upon them in days gone by. The leaders understood very well the necessity {351} of avoiding the troubles of the past by keeping themselves in harmony with God's will. They knew that sin meant trouble not only for the individual but for the Church. The authorities felt that if the people could be kept from sin there would be love and union and prosperity in the new homes which they were establishing in the Rocky Mountains.

The attitude of the Saints on the question of slavery had been a source of trouble to them in Missouri. There was naturally throughout the United States some interest in the position which the new Territory should take upon that question. In those days the influence of the South was predominant, and the pro-slavery party was asserting itself wherever possible. The lines were drawn more distinctly between the pro and anti-slavery communities. In those days men might have regarded it as good policy to keep friends with the South and the democratic party. To be pronounced for or against slavery was sure to invite the opposition of the North or of the South.

President Young felt it, however, to be his duty to make plain the attitude of the Mormon people in Utah on the subject. In an address to the legislature he said: "The Lord said I will not kill Cain, but I will put a mark upon him, and that mark will be seen upon the face of every negro upon the face of the earth; and it is the decree of God that that mark shall remain upon the seed of Cain until the seed of Abel shall be redeemed, and Cain shall not receive the priesthood, until the time of that redemption. Any man having one drop of the seed of Cain in him cannot receive the priesthood; but the day will come when all that race will be redeemed and possess all the blessings which we now have. I am opposed to the present system of slavery."

Elder Woodruff writes extensively in his journal of the teachings of the President. In one of his discourses the Prophet declares that God has passed through all the trials and experiences that we have, and the Savior likewise. On another occasion, he speaks of the responsibilities of parents; the desirability of a prayerful spirit that they may not only receive the noble spirits from the spirit world, but that they may enjoy the influence of the Holy Ghost which should be the inheritance of every child born into the world.

From a report of the tithing in those days it also appears {352} that from October 1848 to April 1852, there was paid in, $353,755.69, a creditable showing when the hardships of those times and the limited numbers of Saints are taken into consideration.

It was at this conference, April 1852, that Edward Hunter was chosen and set apart as the Presiding Bishop of the Church. Many people will remember the quaint words and sayings of Edward Hunter. When asked to select his counselors, on that occasion, he arose and said: "I select for my counselors Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball."

On the 23rd of April, 1852, Wilford Woodruff accompanied the First Presidency on a tour through the southern settlements as far south as Cedar City, which they had visited once before. On this trip they organized the Iron Company for the purpose of developing the iron deposits of that region. The rodometer showed the distance from Salt Lake to Cedar via Sanpete Valley to be 314 1/2 miles. It was on this visit that the Parowan Stake was organized, with John L. Smith as president, John Steele as first, and Henry Lunt as second counselor.

On the 28th of August, 1852, a special conference was held and about one hundred missionaries were called to Europe and other parts of the world. The following October witnessed the call of still other missionaries. In speaking of their blessings President Woodruff said: "The spirit and power of God rested upon us in a great degree. The heavens were opened, and our minds were filled with visions, revelations, and prophecy, while we sealed great blessings upon the heads of the elders and foretold what would befall them by sea and by land; that they would do a great work and gather many Saints and much wealth to Zion."

Before the close of the year, there were special meetings of the Council of the Twelve in which the importance of keeping a history of the Twelve was emphasized, and Elder Woodruff was at that time appointed to write a history of his Quorum. Speaking of the Twelve at this time he says: "There has not been a death in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles except that of David Patten, who fell a martyr to his religion, according to the special request he made of the Lord that he might die that death. I lament the fact that David Patten did not leave a record of his life, for he was a true prophet, an apostle, and a fine man. Many {353} miracles were wrought by him. He once told a rich man in Tennessee who fought the work of God, that he and his family would yet beg for their bread. Robert C. Petty saw that same man cry at a blacksmith shop because the blacksmith would not sharpen his plough on credit."

Speaking upon the principle of writing a history he said that since he had been a member of the Church he had been inspired to write not only of his own acts and life but to write the sermons, teachings, and prophecies of the Prophet Joseph, President Young, and Council of the Twelve Apostles as far as he was acquainted with their labors.

When the new year of 1853 opened Wilford Woodruff gave expression to those noble inspirations which characterized his life. In his journal he writes: "A new year in a new era! How time flies, and how wonderful, how magnificent are the events which are borne upon its wings! It is the opening of a dispensation that includes all other dispensations since the world began. The events of the one thousand years past pale into insignificance compared with the work of the present time."

On New Year's day Wilford Woodruff, with other members of his Quorum, all being present, except Orson Pratt, marched in a body to the homes of Presidents Young, Kimball, and Richards, and to the home of Father John Smith, the patriarch, in the order named and with loving respect wished them a happy and prosperous New Year. Each of the Presidency and Father Smith pronounced their blessings, and in return the Twelve blessed them. In the evening of that day, the Presidency and the Twelve dedicated the Social Hall for social purposes, and with about two hundred of the Saints joined in a dance with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.

The 14th of February, 1853, witnessed the dedication of the site of the Salt Lake Temple. The Presidency and the Twelve broke the ground with a pick. It was an occasion of great joy among the Saints, as a temple meant so much to their hopes and faith. On April the 6th, the four corner-stones were dedicated, and speeches were delivered. Forty years thereafter, Wilford Woodruff, more than 86 years of age, presided at its completion and dedication.

On the 25th of August Elder Woodruff went with members {354} of the Twelve to locate a new Weber settlement. The people there were growing dissatisfied and changed their location several times. At the October conference, following, Wilford Woodruff and Ezra T. Benson were appointed to select fifty families to settle in Tooele Valley. The work in that valley engaged his time largely during the remainder of the year until the 12th of December, when he again took up his work in the House of Representatives.

The new year of 1854 dawned upon the Sabbath day. In the afternoon the Saints were addressed by Apostle Woodruff. On the evening of the 2nd there was a dancing party given in the Social Hall. The parties there were attended by the leaders, and an effort was made to give to those occasions an innocent joy and a high social quality that would uplift the dance and make it a suitable place for Saints, and not allow it to be the exclusive pastime of the sinners. In those early days there was a much greater opposition on the part of the different religious denominations of the world than there is today. This practice, from the outset among the Latter-day Saints of taking their religion with them into the social life was one of the alleged faults which the religious world condemned. In those times when there were so many difficulties, so many hardships different from those which the people had to encounter in the East, the dance was about the only sort of amusement which the Saints could enjoy.

The following are the words of President Young which give his views of the ball room, and which he gave on the evening of the 2nd: "I consider this a suitable place to give some instructions. The world considers it very wicked for a Christian to hear music and to dance. Many preachers say that fiddling and music come from hell, but I say there is no fiddling, there is no music in hell. Music belongs to heaven, to cheer God, angels, and men. If we could hear the music there is in heaven, it would overwhelm us mortals. Music and dancing are for the benefit of holy ones, and all those who come here to-night who are not holy and righteous and do not worship God have no right to come here."

Men and women were taught that in all they did on the week day as upon the Sabbath they should honor God. If, {355} later on, excesses in dancing and its improper practice were corrected by a Prophet of God, John Taylor, it was because of the excesses and the improprieties of certain classes, and not because of the ball room itself. To him, there was great objection in permitting the dance room to become a financial scheme.

In the year of 1854 President Willard Richards was suffering from palsy, and the attention which he received at the hands of Elder Woodruff was characteristic of the latter's tender regard and loving administration for those whom he esteemed. Besides giving his attention to the sick, he also began the work of teaching and preparing the young men for their duties in the office of the lesser priesthood. He was especially solicitous of the training of his young sons, especially Wilford junior.

Those were days of extreme sociability and neighborly love. In his journal Elder Woodruff writes of a visit to his home of Ann Whitney and Eliza R. Snow: "I read over several of the old sermons of Joseph that were not recorded anywhere except in my journal. We passed a pleasant evening together, and before they left they sang in tongues in the pure language which Adam and Eve spoke in the Garden of Eden. This gift was obtained in the Kirtland Temple through a promise of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He told Sister Whitney if she would rise upon her feet she should have the pure language. She did so, and immediately began to sing in tongues. It was nearer to heavenly music than anything I ever heard." This beautiful gift Sister Whitney retained throughout her life time, and upon appropriate occasions exercised it to the edification and joy of the Saints.

In those days Elder Woodruff found some time in the midst of public duties to devote to the reading of good books, among them was the first volume of the life of Benjamin Franklin, and into his journal he copied Franklin's rules of perfection. Whatever was high-minded, choice, or of value as discipline, Wilford Woodruff cherished.

On the 11th of January of that year President Willard Richards died. He had been a sufferer for many years, but through faith his life had been prolonged. Of him Elder Woodruff writes: "He is the first of the Twelve or of our Presidency who has died in the faith a natural death. All who have gone before in full fellowship have died martyrs." He and President {356} Richards had formed a strong attachment for each other, and they had traveled together quite extensively in their missionary labors and pioneer work. At the time of President Richard's death, President Young was too ill to attend the funeral.

The following month of March Elder Woodruff visited Tooele City, Grantsville, and other places in Tooele Valley, the colonization of which had been largely intrusted to himself and Elders Benson and Maughan.

On the 27th of that month, he returned to Salt Lake City and met with the Twelve at his home. Here, the missionaries who were going to England had been set apart, and Franklin D. Richards was called to preside over the European mission.

The April conference which followed was one of considerable importance. It became necessary to select someone to fill the place made vacant by the death of Willard Richards. President Young asked the Twelve to suggest some man for the place, but they considered it his privilege to choose his own counselor, and so informed him, at the same time promising to endorse his selection. When the authorities were sustained, Jedediah M. Grant was taken into the First Presidency of the Church. He had been a faithful and distinguished elder, and was loved by all the Saints.

It was at this conference that the question of Consecration was presented. Speaking of that subject, President Kimball said: "I want all I have to be secured in the Kingdom of God." They knew the dangers and temptations of wealth, the selfishness which it begets, as well as its destruction of brotherly love.

At the same conference, President Kimball spoke on Plural Marriage and declared its divine origin. "Many of you have fought it," he said, "you may continue to fight it until you go down into your graves, and it will still continue to be the work of God, and will still continue through all Eternity."

At that time Elder Parley P. Pratt was appointed to establish a stake of the Church at Horner's ranch in California. Erastus Snow was called on a mission to St. Louis, and Orson Pratt to Cincinnati. Joseph F. Smith, then a boy less than 16 years of age, was called upon his first mission to the Sandwich Islands.

On the 3rd of May, a party of the leaders, of which Elder Woodruff was one, started on a tour of the southern settlements. {357} Their first day's drive was to Union Ward, where the Saints had been counseled to build their homes within a fort, as a protection against the Indians. It appears that to some extent this counsel had been ignored by the people there. In speaking of that fact President Young said: "I am responsible for the counsel I give. If you want to know any more concerning it--do right; pray to the Lord, that you may have His mind revealed and may understand the truth and know for yourselves what lies before you--then you will not question these things, but will go to work and do them with all your might."

In those days there was a special anxiety to protect the people, who were scattering out to form new settlements, against the attacks of the Indians. The people noted the special supervision of their leaders who were constantly directing the settlements which were in time to come to be the strongholds of the Latter-day Saints. Every detail was thought out, and nothing escaped the vigilant watch-care of their Prophet. In his journal Elder Woodruff recorded the remarks of President Young spoken to the people of Pleasant Grove: "Your stacks are so placed that one Indian could fire the whole place, and others could shoot you down. While you were fighting the fire they could kill every man, woman, and child in this place."

The party continued the journey from here to Provo, Springville, and Payson. When they reached Payson they were approaching the Indian country, and the Indian question was discussed. President Young counseled the Saints to feed the Indians and treat them kindly. When the company reached a place about fifteen miles south of Payson an organization was effected: Robert T. Burton was made captain of the guard; W. Woodruff, historian; Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor, chaplains; Edward Hunter, chief bishop; and Dr. Sprague, physician and surgeon.

After leaving Nephi, Elder Woodruff makes this interesting record: "The next day, May 11th, we rode to Chicken Creek and spent the night near Walker and his band. President Young and council tried to talk with him, but he was sulky and not disposed to talk. When we first formed our corral within forty rods of his camp, he gathered all of his warriors and made quite a display, but we did not go to meet them, so they turned their horses out and went to their tents.

{358} "When we called upon Walker, he lay down in the dirt and was averse to talking. Brother Young manifested great patience even when almost any other man would have been exhausted. He went to him and lifted him out of the dirt and finally drew from him a conversation. Walker said he had no spirit, he had no heart, he did not wish to talk. 'I want to sit still and hear President Young and others talk.' President Young gave him some tobacco. The chief said when he had plenty of tobacco all his friends would come and smoke with him, but when he had no tobacco they would stay away from him. President Young then said: 'I have brought some beef cattle for you. I want one killed so you can have a feast while we are here.' Walker then wanted the Mormons to sing before the parties took a smoke. The chief said, 'Ezra T. Benson came, and his heart was good. Diminick Huntington came, and his heart was running.' We then sang, and when this was done Walker said, 'I have not got the spirit of the Lord. If there is anyone here who can give me the spirit of the Lord I wish he would do it.' Speaking further, the old chief said, 'White people in heaven are happy.' An Indian by the name of Tulpidge then spoke amid much crying and tears. He was the Indian who had his wife killed. He said Diminick Huntington had been good to him, and he had not seen him since his child's death. He said: 'We now have good hearts and the Mormons who are now here have good hearts. We can lie down in peace without fear, and I want to live in friendship with this people.'

"We now left the Indian camp and returned to our wagons, but President Young had another talk with Walker the same day. On the following day we again visited Walker's tent, but the chief was still sulky and would not talk. He left his tent and went into the willows while the others talked. The Indians had a sick child which they wished the elders to administer to. President Kimball with Elders Benson and Wells did so, and Dr. Sprague left some medicine for the child and for others who were sick. The Indian said if his sick child died he would have to kill an Indian child or a Mormon child to go with it--this is their tradition. The interpreter told him he must not do it as that was wrong; that when a Mormon child died we did not kill another to go with it and they must not do it. The Indian said that {359} if the child got well, he would go with us. He said Walker was a great chief, and that President Young was a great chief.

"Peteetnet spoke and said they would be good and not steal, neither would they kill anybody, and that anyone could go alone and not be killed. Walker wished President Young to write a letter that he might show to the people and let them know that we were at peace with each other. This, President Young did. Dr. Sprague gave them some medicine, and after a talk of peace and good will from the old chief we shook hands and smoked the pipe of peace. Walker received his presents. We killed a beef and made a great feast for the Indians. They traded blankets for horses and bought two Indians who were prisoners. After making peace we left them and rode on to Sevier River. Walker, Squashead, and many others went with us and spent the night on the Sevier. We made a raft and took our wagons over in an hour and a half. Next day we reached Fillmore, a distance of thirty-five miles."

From Fillmore the party passed through Beaver and Parowan to Cedar City. Here they visited the Iron Works and saw some of the products. Erastus Snow was present and explained to them the difficulties to be contended with in the manufacture of iron, as they were so far from railroads. During this trip the company visited Harmony and then returned to the North, reaching Salt Lake the 30th of the month, having traveled a distance of 574 miles.

June the 27th, 1854, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, was observed. The Church held a general conference, according to previous appointment. Elder John Taylor was called on a mission to New York, while other elders were called to different parts of the world. John Smith, son of Hyrum Smith, was on that day called to the position of presiding patriarch of the Church. He was the fourth to occupy that place in this dispensation.

During those busy times of travel and teaching, Elder Woodruff also found time to farm his land. He records that on that year he raised 369 bushels of wheat, 400 bushels of potatoes and 200 bushels of corn.

On November 27th, he set out upon a visit to the settlements in the north. On the 2nd of December, he paid his first visit to Ogden, where he found a large colony of Saints on the east side {360} of the Weber River. Here he counseled the people respecting the payment of their tithing, the Poor Fund, the establishment of schools, also the building of a wall around the city for protection against attacks by the Indians. At this time he also visited North Ogden, then called Ogden Hole, seven miles north of Ogden City. It was at that time one of the most flourishing settlements north of Salt Lake City. There were forty-seven families and a school with fifty pupils. The people here raised in 1854, 16,000 bushels of wheat.

On the 4th of December, Elder Woodruff visited Willow Creek, now Willard. From there he went to Box Elder, later known as Brigham City, which was then chiefly settled by Saints from Scandinavia and Wales. Returning, he reached home December 9th. On the next day he listened to Charles C. Rich, who gave an account of the rise and progress of the settlement of the Saints in San Bernardino.

On the 11th of December the legislature met. The Council then consisted of four members: Heber C. Kimball, Daniel H. Wells, Orson Pratt, and Wilford Woodruff. The House had nine members: Albert Carrington, Leonard E. Harrington, Aaron Johnson, Isaac Morley, John A. Ray, Geo. A. Smith, Lorin Farr, and Erastus Bingham. At that time there were only seven counties, viz., Salt Lake, San Pete, Millard, Iron, Davis, and Weber.

On Christmas day of that year, there was some excitement created by a drunken brawl among the soldiers who were quartered in the heart of the city. Some of the citizens became mixed up with it. Some of the soldiers fired upon the people who threw stones at them. The officers, however, with the aid of the marshal and mayor restored peace. In the evening, Col. Steptoe and Judge Kinney gave a ball and invited the Presidency and Twelve. Of the occasion Brother Woodruff writes: "It was a splendid affair. We had a good supper and a splendid dance."

In order to give some intellectual pastime, a Philosophical Society was organized to which the leaders gave special attention and encouragement to those who were anxious to improve their minds.

Closing his journal for that year Elder Woodruff notes that he traveled over 1,800 miles, attended 47 meetings, and preached 44 discourses. He also attended two general conferences, and passed twenty days in the legislature.

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33. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS

Education Promoted.--Adventurers.--Endowment House.--President Young Speaks of the Resurrection.--Death of Judge Schafer.--Provo.--Work in Educational Societies.--In the Legislature at Fillmore.--Words of Confidence from Kanosh, an Indian Chief.--Some Peculiarities of Wilford Woodruff.--Poisoned.

The first day of the year 1855 was observed by a social entertainment which the Governor and the Legislature of Utah gave in the new Social Hall. "It was the most splendid party up to that date ever gotten up in the Territory. The United States judges and military officers were invited. Dancing commenced at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and closed with a supper at mid-night."

These hardy pioneers had grand ambitions in their humble homes, amid humble surroundings. They established a grammar school under the direction of Orson Hyde. They also organized a Universal Scientific Association for the study of science, the promotion of education, and the accumulation of a library and museum. They already had their Philosophical Society and later organized a Horticultural Association for the purpose of encouraging the growth of fruit in the Territory.

On the 4th of February, at the Sunday meeting, some attention was given to the attitude which the Saints had taken toward a host of new comers who were not of their faith. Most of them belonged to an adventurous class and were unscrupulous men. Against them the Saints were warned. This warning created considerable excitement among them. The new comers were angry, but the Saints were firm. In time excitement quieted down. Some of the outsiders soon learned that there was a social barrier which they could not break down. They were not here to establish homes, and many were disappointed when they could not prey upon the homes of the Latter-day Saints.

As spring approached new problems arose. The new country was a kind of experiment station, and the people were anxious to get all kinds of seeds that they might experiment with the soil and climate. Elder Woodruff was among the first to introduce fruit {362} trees. He obtained thirty-one different kinds of choice applegrafts. The future began to look more hopeful. They had in mind a grand commonwealth, which by their faithful industry they would establish. They were spreading out over the Valleys of the Mountains and establishing homes. They were a happy people, full of hope and grand expectations--if the soil responded to their efforts.

The political situation became disappointing. At first Brigham Young had been appointed Governor, and had given satisfaction. He was beloved by his people; and respect for their local self-government and their wishes would have continued him as such, but men were not slow in circulating evil reports and in creating prejudice and hatred in the hearts of those who leaned toward the Latter-day Saints. The word came that another was to succeed Brigham Young as governor.

Announcement was made that on February the 18th President Young would give the views of our people concerning the government of the United States. On that date the Tabernacle was crowded, and there were probably one thousand people on the outside who could not find entrance; but President Young was sick and unable to attend. His statement, however, to the people was read in which he expressed loyalty to the Constitution and laws of the country, but disapprobation towards those who were severe, and towards men in high places who disregarded the rights of the people here. The address was published in the Deseret News and later on, in the Journal of Discourses.

On February 18th John Smith received his ordination to the office of Patriarch of the Church, he having been previously called to that high station on the 10th of March, 1853. Elder Woodruff records the death of an old friend, Joseph Russell, who was faithful and true, and who had given nearly all his means amounting to about $7,000.00 to the Church.

The conference of that year began on April 6th, with about 12,000 people in attendance. Times were somewhat exciting, and there was a pronounced demonstration on the part of the Saints in the matter of their adherence to the work of God. At that time about one hundred missionaries were called. A little later on in the same month the Deseret Theological Society was organized.

On May the 15th, the Endowment House was dedicated. To the older of the present generation its sacred precincts, its rites, {363} and ordinances are among the most cherished memories. Apostle Woodruff was present at its dedication; and later in life when the Temple supplanted it, he ordered it removed. On the day following its dedication, Geo, Q. Cannon gave an interesting account of his mission to the Sandwich Islands.

On the same date President Young in speaking of the resurrection, as recorded by President Woodruff, said: "The identical particles of matter in which we have honored our spirits, our tabernacles, in which we have suffered, traveled, labored, and built up the Kingdom of God would be the identical bodies resurrected, and no others. They will be raised from the grave to immortality and eternal lives. Evil was placed upon the earth that man might know the good from the evil, for without an experience in those things, men could not know one from the other. Upon the earth the devil sowed the seeds of death in everything, so that as soon as Adam and Eve began to eat of the fruit of the earth they received into their systems the seeds of mortality--death. Their children thus became mortal and subject to pain, sorrow, and death. By this means they were redeemed and partook of life, peace, and happiness, and they would know how to prize them. Father Adam would never cease his labors to redeem his posterity and exalt them to all the glory they were capable of receiving. Yet man has his agency to act for himself--choose good or evil, and to be rewarded according to his works."

On May the 19th Elder Woodruff set out upon another visit to the southern settlements in company with President Young. At Cedar City they found the iron works in full blast. They were making good iron, casting pipes and other necessary appliances needed by the people. While there, they organized a stake of Zion comprising Iron County. On reaching Lehi on their return they had an interesting visit from Aropene, an Indian chief. This was the latter part of May, and by this time the crops and gardens had almost entirely been destroyed by the grasshoppers.

In his journal of June 30th of that year he records the funeral of Judge Schafer, Chief Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court of Utah. The funeral was held on that day. The Saints turned out in large numbers and showed great honor to the judge whose justice and uprightness were so greatly respected.

On July the 13th Elder Woodruff attended the conference {364} in Provo with Presidents Young, Kimball, and Grant. During the conference, they had a visit from an Indian chief whose English name was High Forehead. He and others of his tribe addressed the congregation, expressing their confidence in President Young and the people over whom he presided. There was in those days a class of people in Provo whose conduct was not entirely satisfactory. It was a gathering place for many uncouth miners, whose habits of drinking and gambling did not give Provo a very good name. Speaking of the town, Apostle Woodruff says in his journal: "There was a strange spirit in Provo and many had not the spirit of God." Many of the early inhabitants of the town will find in that remark something of the spirit of charity.

On Elder Woodruff's return to Salt Lake City he speaks of the excellent times they had in the Polysophical Society as well as in the Universal Scientific Society. These social gatherings for intellectual improvement afforded the progressive men of those days some opportunity to satisfy their desires for education. Elder Woodruff rarely failed in his journal to give an account of the doings of those societies, and to express the great delight he had had over the information imparted by the lectures. In his journal he says: "On September 13th we met in the Social Hall under the organization of a Pomological Society. The house was well filled and the subject discussed was the organization of a Horticultural Society. A committee was appointed to draft the constitution and by-laws to govern said society. I was chosen chairman of this committee, and subsequently president of the society which did much to promote the culture and growth of fruit in the Territory."

The spirit of Wilford Woodruff was pre-eminently missionary in every aspect of his life. If he raised fruit, it was in fulfillment of a mission to promote an industry. When he sat in the legislative halls, he regarded his work as a grand mission for the establishment and spread of the principles of civil government. It all made him an enthusiastic worker. If he farmed, he did it as much to teach others how to farm as to obtain a livelihood from it. With him, all life and labor was a mission. It was all in the spirit of a teacher and he was conscientious in the extreme about what and how he would teach. In attending a {365} quarterly conference at Farmington in October, 1855, he writes in his journal: "After retiring to bed I prayed to the Lord to show me what we should teach the people, and this I received as an answer. 'Let my servants obtain the Holy Ghost and keep My spirit with them and that will instruct them what to teach the people continually. Instruct the people to keep My spirit with them and they will be enabled to understand the word of the Lord when it is taught unto them.'"

It is quite natural, therefore, that he should keep a careful account of missionary work both at home and abroad. He notes in the fall of that year that Nathaniel V. Jones returned from his mission to Hindoostan, also the appointment of Lorenzo Snow, Ezra T. Benson, and Phineas Young to England.

Elder Woodruff was appointed as a missionary, in connection with Elders Orson Pratt, and Parley P. Pratt, to travel throughout the Territory. He speaks of this event as giving him much pleasure and adds: "It is the first time since the organization of this Church and Quorum that I have had the privilege of being associated with these two men on a preaching mission. We have met but little except in conference from time to time." He mentions about this time the death of Orson Spencer who had died in St. Louis. Of him he says: "Many friends mourn his loss. He was a firm pillar in the Church and Kingdom of God."

Having been again elected to the legislature, Elder Woodruff set out for Fillmore which was then the capital of the Territory. He went in company with Lorenzo Snow, Loren Farr, and Jonathan C. Wright. While in Fillmore, in January, 1856, he reported and wrote in his journal an account of an excellent discourse preached by President Young. The following was taken from his journal: "It is our duty to make every sacrifice (if it may be called a sacrifice) required of us by our Father in Heaven, that He and His holy angels may know our integrity. I see a thousand weaknesses in myself that I now regret, and it is so with all those who have the spirit of God, and they will try to overcome them. People may be guilty of various sins, and do you think they can be forgiven in a moment. No, every Latter-day Saint knows better. This would be sectarianism. The religion of the world is that a man may commit murder, and when on the {366} gallows, he can repent and be forgiven and go straightway to Abraham's bosom. It is a false doctrine. It is not true. Some may say that they cannot overcome their passions when they are tempted and tried, they cannot help scolding, swearing, etc., but I tell you they can help it, and must overcome it sooner or later or they cannot be saved. We should improve day by day, be a better man or woman to-morrow than we are to-day. Mothers, when you are cross and attempt to correct you children, conquer yourselves first. Fathers, when you feel angry passions rise, then you need the grace of God to bring yourselves into subjection to Him that you may gain victory over your feelings. Live so that you may have the revelations of God concerning you in all things--that you cannot be deceived. When Sidney Rigdon claimed to be the leader of the people, the people knew not his voice. Parents are under the greatest obligation to live their religion, so also the young men and women, that when they marry and have a posterity their children may be born in holiness and righteousness, and it will then be hard to make anything out of them but Latter-day Saints."

On January the 16th, Kanosh, an Indian chief, made an address to the brethren, as follows: "I am just beginning to get my eyes opened. I know that President Young's talk is good. What he says is so. He tells us more good, and I am like the sun just rising in the East, and so with my people. We have been in the night, I have had eyes but I could not see, and ears, but I could not hear; and this has been the case with my people. Our hearts could not understand, but now our eyes see, our ears hear, and our hearts understand. All that Brigham and Heber have said is straight; but when I talk with Col. Steptoe and his men, he is not straight, I would not believe, for a tenth part of their talk is not straight, and so it is with the Spaniards, and with all the white men until I saw the Mormons. They are the first to tell me the truth. You are here to make laws. I hope you will make good laws to punish the guilty and spare the innocent. I wish to do right and have my people do right. I do not want them to steal nor kill. I want to plant and raise wheat, and to learn to plough, and do as the white people do. I want to learn to read and to write, and to have my children learn so that we may understand what you say to us." This is beautiful manifestation {367} of the confidence which the better class of Indians had in the Mormon people.

After the adjournment of the legislature, and on the 26th of January, a large mass meeting was held in Salt Lake City to consider the establishment of a mail and passenger service between the Western States and California. Governor Young was chosen chairman. A committee was appointed to draft resolutions regarding the project. About this time the First Reader published in the Deseret Alphabet was gotten up. To this work Elder Woodruff gave much of his time. During the month of February he reports in his journal that three boys had been killed by the Indians who had driven off a number of horses and cattle.

On the 3rd of March Elder Woodruff was called on a mission to the East to secure type for the Deseret Alphabet. On the 7th of April, during the spring conference of that year, he was appointed assistant historian of the Church. In those days missionaries were usually called at conference, and that occasion had in it surprises for many who were called to go on a mission without a moment's notice. At this time Elders Orson Pratt and Ezra T. Benson were called to England to preside over the European mission.

There was, too, a humorous side to Wilford Woodruff's nature, notwithstanding the seriousness which he possessed. It seems that in one of the Sunday meetings President Jedediah M. Grant found it necessary to refer to some thefts which had taken place a short time before. Among other things stolen was some flour that had been taken from Elder Woodruff's home. After concluding his rebuke for these things President Woodruff arose and said: "If they have taken the flour because of hunger and will ask the blessing upon the bread when it is made, and send me home the bags, I will bring no accusation against them." The bags were put in a sack and brought to his home next morning.

A circumstance somewhat of the same nature as that referred to, occurred in which the writer was a witness. He and one of his companions were chasing a flock of tame ducks up the street along Elder Woodruff's fence. The latter saw them and came out. He being a nervous, quick-spoken man, the boys expected a scolding. "Boys," he said, "if you will let those ducks alone, I {368} will give you some apricots." They hardly knew how to compose themselves--so great was their surprise--but they went with him to the orchard, one of them filling his hat and the other a bucket. Nothing further disagreeable was said, but the boys never thereafter chased the ducks.

On the 22nd of April of that year, the missionaries who were called on missions left the city for their fields of labor. It was a greater effort in those days to take a mission. The sacrifice was greater for all concerned. The dreary plains had to be crossed again, and the expense was naturally very great. At this time George A. Smith and John Taylor went to Washington to urge claims of Utah for admission into the Union. A few days after the missionaries left, Apostle Woodruff was poisoned in consequence of skinning an animal which had been killed by poison. His system became so infected that his life was despaired of, but his faith was so unceasing and so disassociated from all doubt that through administration he was healed. Brother Woodruff records in his journal the blessing which President Young pronounced upon his head, as follows: "Brother Woodruff, I say to you in the name of Jesus Christ, that you shall not die, but you shall live to finish your work which was appointed you to do upon the earth. The adversary has sought many times to destroy your life but the Lord has preserved you, and will preserve you until your work is done."

On his recovery he makes record of a letter received from the chief gardener of Queen Victoria, who desired to open a correspondence with the Horticultural Society of Utah. Such matters were of course highly interesting to the people here, because those were days of experiments.

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34. THE REFORMATION, 1856

Hard Times Were Difficult for Some To Endure.--Recording Church History.--Dedication of Historian's Office.--First Hand-cart Company.--The Reformation Inaugurated.--Death of Jedediah M. Grant.--Suffering of the Hand-cart Companies.--Heber C. Kimball's Dream.

The year 1856 found the people engrossed in the labors incident to pioneer life. They were beginning to appreciate more than ever the wonderful resources of their new Zion. The growing opportunities to accumulate means were absorbing the more progressive classes. The social life of the people, however, was not neglected, and there were picnics and celebrations. The Fourth and the Twenty-fourth were great days. The out door amusements of those times were more enjoyable because of the general surroundings. This year the Fourth was ushered in by the firing of cannon and the ringing of bells. There were processions and orations that pleased and inspired the people. The canyons were near by and they were agreeable resorts in days when there were few groves. These occasions helped the people to forget many of the hardships incident to pioneer life. Some could not easily endure the trials of those days because they had not sufficient faith to penetrate in the least the future. To them all was darkness and hardship. Some were discouraged.

About this time, one of the chief clerks in the Historian's Office became weary of the hardships of those days, was a victim of despair. He entertained doubts of the truth of the work; and though he was treated well by all the brethren, he was nevertheless unhappy and returned to England to take up again the life in which he had been reared. Apostle Woodruff wrote of him thus: "He could not stand the hard times, and did not know whether Mormonism was true or not, so he returned home. He had taken a very honorable course in all his business dealings." The man was respected and spoken well of. He felt that he had made a mistake, but he was honest and honorable. He never sought to shift the burden of his own unhappiness and discontent on to the {370} shoulders of others. He aimed to be fair and wanted to do what was right. The man had not the faith to support him in the trying ordeals of those early years in Utah. It was one circumstance out of many; and like some others who left the Church, he never felt it his duty to bring reproach upon those whose faith he could neither understand nor appreciate. The man was not hindered in the execution of his wishes. He was wished God speed, and his old-time friends would still be friends, even though there might be a great disparity in the matter of faith.

In those days, Elder Woodruff was occupied largely in the historian's office reading Church history to President Young. From the beginning of the Church in Utah, President Young had felt the importance of keeping an accurate and extended history of God's dispensation in the Valleys of the Mountains. Many important things connected with the Church in its infancy had not been recorded, and were then even becoming matters of hearsay.

On the 6th of September, 1856, a large number of missionaries were set apart and the burden of the instructions to them then was the keeping of a journal. The special instructions on that occasion were given to them by Parley P. Pratt and Wilford Woodruff, the latter outlined in a general way what should make up a journal. The record was to be "full, correct, and proper." Matters were to be so fully given that future generations would not be at a loss to understand them. They should be so correct, that credence could be given to what was written, and so proper that inappropriate and irrelevant matters should not fill up and make a journal tedious and of no consequence, except, perhaps, to the one who wrote it. All official acts in the exercise of the authority of the priesthood should be carefully kept. Whenever it became important for the Church to give a history of any event, it should be able to put its hands on the records of those who took part in them.

Parley P. Pratt said: "I have reflected upon this subject for years to know what a man should write, and have come to the conclusion that he should write his official acts in the priesthood. I am sorry that I have not kept more of a journal than I have. I wish I had written every man's name that I ever baptized, or administered to in any manner. In setting forth the hand dealings of God with this people, the elders of the Church become personal {371} witnesses for God, and every event which is a manifestation of God's power in their lives and ministry should be recorded." They fully appreciated the fact that though an event may not be of great importance to-day, it may be valuable to-morrow in the light of all that follows it.

On the 10th of September, Apostle Woodruff and the clerks in the historian's office moved to their new office, which was an imposing building in those days, and which still stands on South Temple Street between State and Main Streets. Elder Woodruff was mouth in the dedication of this building on September 15th, 1856. Elder Woodruff records this blessing in his journal and exclaims therein: "Wilt thou bless, O Lord, with thy holy spirit this building, that we may never profane thy name in this house, or dishonor the holy priesthood, or bring approach upon thy cause, or grieve thy holy spirit in any way. Bring to our remembrance all things necessary to be written in the history of the Church, and cause that papers and documents that are necessary may be brought to us that we may be enabled to compile a correct, useful, and proper history."

On the 26th of the same month, the two first hand-cart companies entered Salt Lake Valley. They were in charge of Edmund Ellsworth and Daniel Duncan McArthur, the former was the husband of President Young's oldest daughter. Elder Ellsworth died some years ago, but Elder McArthur, at this writing, 1909, still lives in St. George in the 86th year of his age. For some years he was president of the St. George stake of Zion. These companies of Saints were met at the mouth of Emigration Canyon to the east of the city and were escorted with much display and honor to the city. President Young and the general authorities went out to meet them. Bands of music enlivened the occasion, and the presence of many Saints gave great distinction to the scene. They had pushed and pulled their hand-carts from the Missouri River, over a thousand miles. They had waded the streams, climbed the mountains, and had made better time than either the ox or the horse teams.

This new method of crossing the plains had been first suggested and decided upon in England during the presidency in that mission of Franklin D. Richards. It was, in a measure, an outburst of the enthusiastic desire and spirit of the people there {372} to gather with their religious comrades in the Valleys of the Mountains. The first companies had fared measurably well, but those who came later, and were the victims of an unusual and extraordinary winter, suffered greatly.

At this place in Elder Woodruff's journal, he records a dream related by Daniel H. Wells and the latter's interpretation of it. He saw in his dream a butcher's cleaver in the heavens, from which he was led to predict the near approach of war and bloodshed in the nation. The time, he declared, was nearer than people imagined.

The completion of the Historian's Office this year was followed by the dedication of the Endowment House on October 2nd. The leading men of the Church met at the baptismal font where the dedicatory prayer was offered by Heber C. Kimball. Elder Woodruff says: "It was full of sublimity and prophecy which found its fulfillment in the history of the font and the building." It would be difficult even to estimate the sacred influence which that building has exercised upon the lives of untold thousands who felt themselves within its sacred precincts in the presence of their God. The purity that went out from that sacred house into the lives of those who were married there has been the guiding star and the savior of thousands of men and women in the Church. How strange, how remarkable, that a place with such sacred and uplifting influence should be made the object of vicious attacks by those who were the enemies of the Church and its persecutors!

The completion of the font signalized the importance of the so-called Reformation in the Church which began in that year. President Young entered the font and baptized his counselors, Heber C. Kimball, and Jedediah M. Grant. Later Elder Woodruff and others were baptized; and the privilege extended to all the Saints throughout the Church to renew their covenants. There was a spirit of trouble brewing; a growing opposition throughout the United States toward the Saints was felt by the leaders, who were impressed by the spirit of reform. It was important that the people should be so upright and chaste in their lives that the Lord should have no occasion to punish them for their shortcomings. It was a time of revival in the observance of the duties and the ordinances in the Church. The people were called upon {373} to repent. Questions touching their morals and the manner of their worship were put to the people both in public places and in their homes. The people generally were asked to renew their covenants by baptism.

An excerpt from the journal of Elder Woodruff illustrates something of the spirit of those times. After explaining to a certain individual that he considered it a privilege to be re-baptized, the man professed his immunity from sin.

"In all the trials incident to the pilgrimage and pioneer life, have you never sworn nor used bad language?"

"No sir," was the prompt reply.

"Have you never broken the Sabbath day?"

"No sir," came the quick response.

"Have you never cheated your neighbor in trade?"

"No sir," thundered the unrepentant man.

"Then, for heavens sake, go off and do something. You are the only perfect man I ever saw, and hope never to see another in this life."

Subsequent events, however, proved that the man who was so self-assertive was the very sort of an individual who was greatly in need of repentance.

From the days of the gold excitement in California, there had been an influx of adventurers into Utah. Most of them were men of reckless lives, men of improper habits. Their influence became greatly detrimental to many of the Saints. It must be counteracted, and the so-called Reformation was to be the means of setting the people right. It was to be a time of repentance. Every responsible position that men held, whether ecclesiastical or civil, called for the most devout obedience to God's law. Men who were legislators observed the ordinance of baptism that they might more conscientiously and more uprightly enact laws for the happiness and welfare of the people.

The October conference which was then at hand was devoted to the proclamation of repentance throughout the Church. The new zeal was felt everywhere, both at home and abroad. There were frequent visits from house to house. The leaders of the Church were foremost in the new move. A special call was put upon Jedediah M. Grant. To him the work of the Reformation was a special mission. He was by nature a most zealous man, {374} and this special call increased his zeal. He gave to the work all his energies and carried more the burden of that mission than any other man of his time. It proved too much for his physical nature, which could not bear the incessant labors, and consequently on the 1st of December, 1856, he departed this life.

Of him Elder Woodruff writes in his journal: "He died December 1st, 1856, twenty minutes past 10 o'clock. He was aged forty years, nine months, and seven days. We went immediately to his house where we found his wives and children weeping bitterly. Jesse C. Little, Leonard W. Hardy, Daniel H. Wells, Doctors Sprague, and Dunyon, and Israel Ivins, stood by him as he breathed his last. As I gazed upon his tabernacle of clay, I felt to exclaim, a mighty man in Zion is laid low, a valiant man in Israel and a great champion of the Kingdom of God is taken from us! We feel his loss deeply. For two months it seemed as though he had been hurried to close up his work. He had been preaching for several months calling upon the people to repent. His voice had been like the trumpet of the Angel of God. He has labored night and day until prostrated by sickness. He called at the Historian's office on the 19th of November which was his last day out. During his sickness, he beheld a glorious vision from which he related to the brethren all he had seen of the spirit world."

Of President Grant, Elder Woodruff records the following testimony by Brigham Young: "We have no cause to mourn for Brother Grant. He is well off. He has lived in advance of his age and is better fitted for eternity in the forty years of his lifetime than many would be in one hundred years."

Elder Woodruff records among the closing events of those years the sufferings and other experiences of the hand-cart companies. He tells of the anxiety about those who were overtaken by the storms in Wyoming. Relief parties were sent out, provisions were forwarded, and at the fire sides of the Saints, there were fervent prayers for the protection of their unfortunate brethren and sisters struggling to reach the land of Zion--the goal of their ambition, and the object of their devotion.

On the 12th of October, 1856, Elder Woodruff records the ordination of Leonard W. Hardy and Jesse C. Little as the first and second counselors to the presiding bishop. Edward Hunter. {375} About this time, Frederick Kesler was ordained bishop of the 16th ward, a position which he held with honor for nearly one-half century.

Through all the latter months of 1856, the work of the Reformation was going on. There was quite a universal spirit favoring the highest and purest standard of life. Men of a sensitive and a religious nature found within themselves an excessive conscientiousness that sometimes made them imagine they were sinners because of a state of perfection they saw, but could not feel. Such a condition brought with it doubts and misgivings. Some of the very best men in the Church felt their unworthiness and shrank from responsibilities which they imagined others could fulfill better than they. President Woodruff records at this time that he and Lorenzo Snow called upon President Young and offered to surrender their apostleship. They had received it at his hands and were willing to give it up in favor of any one that the President might think more competent and more worthy. President Young expressed his perfect satisfaction with them and his confidence in their integrity and labors, and gave them every assurance of his love and blessing.

There were those, however, in those days who were not so conscientious and by nature so upright. They took advantage of the repentant and humble condition of others. They exercised authority that was unjust and harmful. The dangers of the excesses of a certain class began to be felt and restraint was put upon them. When the movement had accomplished the good intended and dangers arose, the Reformation subsided and has gone into history with a mixture of evil with a vast amount of good. Elder Woodruff records his belief that the Reformation had a great effect for good upon the lives and the conduct of the people. It also had a tendency to separate those who were insincere and untrustworthy. It was a judgment upon the Saints that they themselves pronounced in their willingness or unwillingness to be in harmony with the spirit of the times.

The spirit of the leaders at that time when the call to repentance was loudest was one of the most enthusiastic and God-fearing character. They felt themselves in the presence of heavenly beings and constantly answerable to God for the condition of the people Elder Woodruff speaks of a tongue lashing which {376} he received from one of his brethren who did not take kindly to the spirit and methods of the times. The man did not care to have his conduct brought into question. He had repented and been baptized once and the repetition of repentance was not in harmony with his feelings, and he resisted the call made upon him by his brethren who did not hesitate and who were not easily brushed aside in their purpose and determination to bring about a reformation. To those who did not take kindly to the spirit of those times, it looked like an invasion of their personal liberty.

In his journal, Apostle Woodruff records a dream related to him by Heber C. Kimball, which reflected not alone the latter's views of the times, but the general spirit among the leaders. The dream runs as follows:

"I dreamed that I was traveling with a companion, and we came to a powerful, rapid stream of water like the Niagara River. The waves were rolling very high and increasing in size. They had been muddy, but were getting clear. As we came to this rushing stream, we did not know how we should get over it. I turned my eyes a few moments from my companion, and when I looked back I saw him on the other side of the river and climbing a steep hill. I did not know how he got there. I wanted to cross, so I called to him as loud as I could to stop and wait for me, but he paid no attention to me, but went on as fast as he could. Then a person came to me and said you have an iron rod in your hand, which I perceived I had. It was several feet long. The angel said to me: 'You must use this rod and feel your way over the river.' Then I awoke.

"I considered my dream and interpreted it as follows: My companion was J. M. Grant, who had suddenly died and left me, and was on the other side of the veil. The waters mean the people. They are increasing in strength and growing better and clearer. The iron rod is the word of God, which I must cling to till I get through life. I consider there are great things awaiting this people."

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Chapter 35

CELEBRATION OF 24th, 1857.

Words of Brigham Young.--Talk by the Indian Chief, Aropene.--Assassination of Parley P. Pratt.--Return of Thomas B. Marsh to the Church.--Celebration of the Twenty-forth in Big Cottonwood Canyon.--News of the Army's Approach.

The year 1857 made its appearance in the midst of an unusual and extraordinary snowstorm. The ushering in of the new year in such a manner was portentous of the stormy and extraordinary experiences of the Saints. Elder Woodruff records that he passed most of the day in company with President Young and Franklin D. Richards. They were actively engaged in compiling Church history. It is remarkable how completely attached to the leaders of the Church Elder Woodruff was. His trust in them was both complete and sublime. He never found occasion to suppose for one moment that these leaders ever proved unworthy of the trust he imposed in them. In his mind, Brigham Young was a Prophet of God, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, as truly and perfectly as was Samuel of old, or Peter, or Paul. His reverence and respect for the living oracles were as perfect as for the dead. The words of both Joseph and Brigham, he was always careful to write down in his journal. In time when the sermons were recorded by reporters of the Church, he confined his record to sayings that were made when there was no reporter present.

On the 11th of January, in the Eighteenth ward, President Young addressed the people and from his sermon Elder Woodruff records among other things these words: "It is sometimes taught among us that we should follow Brother Joseph or Brother Brigham, or some other leader, and do as they say, and that is all that is required. Now this is in one sense a false doctrine. No man should trust solely the testimony of another. He should have a direct testimony from God for himself. Then obedience is intelligent and not blind. I might have listened to Joseph Smith testify to the truth of the Book of Mormon until I was as old as Methuselah, and in the end I would have gone away in darkness had I not {378} received a testimony from God that he was a prophet and that he knew by revelation whereof he spoke. Men should get the spirit of God and then live by it."

In those days there was a strong sympathetic interest in the welfare of the Indians. The better ones among them were feeling constantly greater confidence in the people and in their leaders. They had a real friendship for those white men who treated them, not only kindly, but with high consideration for their rights. The Indian felt that there were reasons why he should command respect as well as receive justice. Aropene seems to have been a chief specially favored among the Indians and respected by the Saints. In the early part of that year, Elder Woodruff records that this chief delivered a strong discourse to the Saints in which he exhorted them to respect the counsel of their leaders and to abstain especially from the use of liquor, and to do right in all things.

On the 17th of February of this year, Elder Woodruff addressed a meeting of the bishops and gives in his journal a brief synopsis of his instructions to them. "No man should boast of the authority and power of the priesthood, or contend about the comparative greatness of a seventy or a high priest. Men should not boast of that power until they have received some manifestation of it, and when they receive it they will not feel like boasting about it. Its power will create humility and not pride. It is seldom that I have seen the power of the priesthood made manifest among the children of men in our day to any very great degree. There are, however, some instances. One was when the Prophet Joseph beheld the sick and the dying in his dooryard, and when they were also strewn along the banks of the river for two miles. He arose and shook himself like an old lion and commenced at his tent door and healed all the people who were not dead on both sides of the river, by the power of God, and his voice was as the voice of God and the earth almost trembled under his feet as he went along commanding the sick to arise and be made whole. It was also made manifest by Joseph while in prison and in chains in Missouri.

"Again, David Patten was taken by an armed mob under a United States warrant. When he was surrounded by about forty {379} such men who were acting under the garb of law, and who forbade him to say one word in his own defense, he arose in the power of God and held them fast to their seats until he had addressed them for about one-half hour. He told them that they were cowards, rascals, and villains, and proved it to them and they had not the power to harm one hair of his head, and they let him and Warren Parish go free.

"This power was again made manifest by President Brigham Young on the banks of the Missouri River at Winter Quarters, when the merchants brought up goods to sell to the brethren who were going to the mountains. Old Major Miller, the Indian agent, was there, surrounded by officers. In order to show his great authority, he told the merchants who owned some alcohol not to roll a barrel off the boat or he would knock the head of the barrel in and pour the liquor upon the ground. President Young thereupon stepped up and told the men to roll it out. Miller and his officers turned pale, and the liquor was rolled out and nobody was hurt. Other instances might be named where the power of the priesthood has been strongly manifested. These men never boasted of it, and they never will."

March 1st brought Elder Woodruff to his 50th birthday. About this time he recorded in his journal instructions from President Young upon the importance of keeping a journal. The President quotes from instructions from the Prophet Joseph on the subject. He shows that the written testimony of the things of God is quite as important as the spoken testimony, that the world will be judged by what is written in the books, and that where it is the duty to record the manifestations of the spirit of God and men neglect to fulfil that duty, the spirit will be withdrawn from them. "Were you to be brought before the civil authorities and accused of a crime or a misdemeanor, you may be punished if you cannot prove from your journal that you were somewhere else and are innocent. Your enemies may prevail against you."

These words from the lips of Brigham Young in those early days are significant because of the position the enemies of the Church sought to place him in. How often he was subject to accusations which were laid at his door and which the enemies insisted were true if he could not prove his innocence. How often {380} that has been the case in the history of the Latter-day Saints concerning whom, in the minds of their enemies, there are no presumptions whatever of innocence. The order of proof with them has been different too often from that followed by the world in the administration of law and justice. From these admonitions of the Prophet it may be seen that so far as the Latter-day Saints are concerned, they may often be compelled to prove their innocence, for their enemies will not treat them with the fairness with which they treat one another, and regard men as innocent until they are proven guilty.

Just before the opening of spring conference, on March 23rd, President Woodruff officiated in the dedication of the baptismal font which had been erected by the people of the Fourteen Ward. The semi-annual conference in those days created a great deal of interest as well as anxiety because of those whose names were announced for the first time as missionaries to the nations of the earth. As the list was read at the close of conference, a profound silence fell upon the entire congregation, as wives and mothers, as well as fathers and husbands, never knew when the minute call would come to them or to their household.

This spring the missionaries adopted the hand-cart method of crossing the plains. They were an enthusiastic body of men who on the 23rd of April hitched themselves to their carts and made their way through the canyons and over the mountains to the Missouri River and other terminal points, from which they adopted a more convenient method of travel.

Elder Woodruff records in his journal on June 23rd that the "eastern mail arrived bringing the sad news of the assassination of Elder Parley P. Pratt, who had been killed near Ft. Smith in Arkansas, by a man named McLean."

Apostle Woodruff was always careful in his journal to say something of the lives of men and women whose integrity to God he knew and esteemed. He rarely failed to record his testimony of those who were valiant when anything important occurred in their lives, or when they died. Of a Sister Vose who had just come to the Valleys he said: "She was seventy-seven years of age and rode 1,200 miles in twenty-three days, at least one-half the distance by team. She has been a member of the Church almost {381} from the beginning, and has given thousands of dollars to build up the Kingdom and to assist the elders in their ministry."

Just about this time, he records the return of Thomas B. Marsh to the fold. This man had once been president of the Twelve Apostles. He had forsaken the Church and in time he was forsaken by his family and his friends. There still, however, remained within him a lingering testimony of the spirit that had once led him to a higher and better life. He appealed by letter to President Young to be restored to the Church. The request was granted by the President who said: "Let him be baptized and confirmed and then come to the Valleys." This brother reached Salt Lake City, and on the 16th of September, 1857, was presented by President Young to the congregation in their Sabbath meeting. As they gazed upon him, they saw a wreck--a relic of his former self. He was now crippled and palsied in body, miserable and unhappy in his spirit. When he arose, he called the attention of the Saints to himself as an object of pity and commiseration, and warned the Saints against apostasy and asked them to forgive him. President Young put his request to a vote and he was unanimously received into the fellowship of his brethren and sisters. A few years later he died in Ogden.

The approach of mid-summer awakened in the hearts and feelings the patriotic spirit of a devoted body of pioneers, who loved their religion and who consequently loved their country. The Fourth of July was celebrated as usual by a "splendid military performance." The procession disbanded before the Governor's office at noon.

They loved their country and they also loved their religion. Their advent into the Valleys of the Mountains was a mile-stone in what to their minds was the greatest historical event of modern times. That event must not be forgotten. Future generations must hold it in sacred remembrance, for it was God's history which the world some time would recognize by appropriate and almost universal observance. The remembrances of the pioneer journey were green in the memories of all but the little children. The Twenty-fourth of July recalled the scenes at one thousand camp firesides on the plains and in the mountains. It reminded them of suffering, recalled their hopes, and strengthened their {382} faith. They were witnesses of God's providence in dispelling fears that human courage could not overcome, and in removing obstacles that seemed to them insurmountable.

On the 22nd of July, 1857, a great procession of people might have been seen wending their way along the eastern hillsides of the Salt Lake Valley on their way to a lake in Big Cottonwood canyon. The night of that day, they camped at the granite quarry from which the rock was then already being hewn for the foundation of the Temple. On the following morning, President Young and the leaders of the Church led the procession up through the canyon to a place selected for the celebration. The first arrived at noon and the last came in about midnight. Of this occasion President Woodruff writes: "This was a great turnout. The company numbered 2,587 persons, 468 carriages and wagons, 1,028 horses and mules, and 332 oxen and cows. Flags were raised upon the highest peaks and the stars and stripes were unfurled upon the highest trees. The surrounding scenes of mountains, valleys, lakes, woods, and meadows made the sight the most interesting I ever beheld. We had prayer at night and an address from President Young. There were five bands in attendance to discourse sweet strains of music."

Next day being the Twenty-fourth, ten years had passed since the faithful pioneers entered the Valleys of the Mountains. The day was to be celebrated in an enthusiastic manner. The program consisted of the firing of cannon, speeches, songs, recitations, and music. They were also there to render their thanks-giving and praise to God for His care over them, and above all for the testimony of His spirit, which burned within them. Some engaged in trout fishing, others roamed over the hills, and there were social pastimes that promised a great day for the Saints.

At noon, Bishop Smoot, Judson Stoddard, Judge Elias Smith, and O. P. Rockwell arrived in camp. The first named two brought the unhappy news with them from the East that the government had withdrawn the mail contract, and were sending a new governor, judges, and 2500 troops to Utah to suppress an insurrection that had never existed. The action of the government was based upon the falsehoods sent broadcast by Judge Drummond and other unprincipled men.

{383} President Young met the issue in a spirit of indignation and with a determination not to submit to another injustice. At day-light, on the 25th, the company broke up and commenced their homeward journey. Their joy and enthusiasm had now been turned to wonderment, anxiety, and sorrow. The approaching army was the theme of their conversation. Dark clouds hovered over them. A new problem had to be solved. What was to be done? Where could they go? What was to be the result of another injustice perpetrated against them? Their faith was again brought to their service. They exercised it by humiliating themselves in prayer and fasting. The spirit of joy had been transformed into one of the greatest solemnity.

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