William Clayton's Journal A Daily Record of the Journey of the Original Company of "Mormon" Pioneers from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake

Evening in council. Wrote a long letter to be sent to Emmet's company by John Butler and James W. Cummings. This morning wrote another letter to P. P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, George...

This morning the President's company made a bridge over a creek and started again on their journey. Four of my horses were missing and I sent men to hunt them and went myself. T...

Wrote an answer to Whitaker's letter and also one to Diantha. We started on about eight o'clock and found the road bad and many bad creeks where the bridges had been washed away...

Went to the meeting at Elder Taylor's camp. In the evening President Young, Kimball and Richards returned. They requested me to go to Taylor's to council. I went and tarried til...

The road after this is considerably crooked and uneven. About a mile and a quarter farther we descended again on the same gravelly channel and traveled up it a piece and at 11:3...

Orson Pratt requested the prayers of the Saints in his behalf: "It is with peculiar feelings that I arise before so many of the Saints in this uncultivated region inhabited by s...

Morning fine. At 7:20 we continued our journey and about 200 yards from where we camped, crossed a very crooked creek about six feet wide descending from the southwest. After tr...

We have had a strong southwest wind all night and the morning is somewhat cool. We started a little before eight o'clock and had good traveling. We saw many herds of buffalo but...

Morning fine but cold. The ox teams started at five minutes to eight and the remainder shortly after. We soon met eight of the Oregon men on their way back having over twenty ho...

The morning fair and somewhat more pleasant, although there is yet appearance for more rain. I felt quite unwell through the night and also this morning, having severe pain. At...

"I remarked last Sunday that I had not felt much like preaching to the brethren on this mission. This morning I feel like preaching a little, and shall take for my text, 'That a...

Morning fine but cool. At 7:50 the camp started out again in good health and spirits and the teams in very good order. It was remarked by several that their stock had fattened s...

I received by Porter, some few fish hooks and lines, a ball of fish line and three pencils, but no small hooks nor knives or wafers. At twenty minutes after 3:00 p.m. the wagons...

William Clayton was one of the remarkable characters of early Utah history. Born in the county of Lancashire, England, July 17, 1814, he was educated in one of the schools of hi...

Spent the forenoon with Elder Pratt in taking observations to ascertain the height of the temple block above the Utah outlet which he found to be sixty-five feet. The altitude o...

At twenty minutes after one the bugle sounded for a march, and the messenger is returning with the letters and a bag of provisions on his shoulder which the brethren have given...

The morning cold. Wind east; camp well. At 7:00 a.m. went with a number of the brethren who were going to dig some wolves out of a hole about a quarter of a mile from camp. They...

Morning beautiful, no wind and warm. We have not been disturbed by the Indians; all is peace in the camp. At eight o'clock we continued our journey, making a more crooked road t...

The morning fine and very pleasant. At seven o'clock the President called the captains of tens to his wagons and gave them a pretty severe lecture. He referred to some who had l...

At the store regulating the books and making out Whitney and Woolley's account current, etc. About 2:00 p.m. Sarah came and said her mother wanted me. Moroni had fallen into the...

Morning very pleasant. We started on our journey at 7:50 and after traveling three and three-quarters miles, crossed Hams Fork, a rapid stream about three rods wide and two feet...

The morning very cold indeed. Inasmuch as there is little grass for the cattle, the camp started out at 5:40 and traveled till a quarter after eight, six miles before breakfast....

Morning cloudy and pleasant. The brethren commenced plowing early, others are gone to planting, etc., and the brethren appear to feel well. Some of the sick have been to bathe i...

Arose at four o'clock to try and get some more fish. Morning fine and warm, but caught only four. I procured a sample of the stone coal from G. A. Smith. It looks good. This pla...

On the east and west of the village is a beautiful level bench of prairie extending many miles, and to the ridge of bluffs which run east and west touching within a mile of the...

Arose to behold a fine pleasant morning, my health much better. This is my thirty-third birthday. My mind naturally reverts back to my family and my heart is filled with blessin...

Agreeable to President Young's instructions, Elder Pratt accompanied by George A. Smith, John Brown, Joseph Mathews, John Pack, O.P. Rockwell and J. C. Little started on this mo...

Arose soon after five. The morning fine and pleasant. During the night the guard fired twice but they supposed they were wolves they fired at. I went back to the old Indian vill...

The morning fine and very pleasant. Most of the Indians, men, women and children came early to camp on their ponies and marched around mostly trying to obtain something to eat....

The night was excessively cold and this morning there is considerable ice. We got an early start and traveled to where the road leaves the river and crosses to the Horn. At this...