Part 6
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 fire and burned himself very badly. I went home and found as she said. All over the left side of his head burned, his face very badly burned, large blisters round his left eye. I immediately applied some consecrated oil and ordered them to keep it on all the time. I then returned to the store. Evening President Young came and took his hardware bill, domestic drilling, etc. About 8:00 p.m. I went home.
Sunday, January 3
Moroni's face seems much better, all except around his left eye which looks very bad. I was at the store all day working at Whitney's account current which seems very bad to regulate. Evening Heber, his wife Ellen, Sarah Ann and Sister Whitney came in to trade and remained till about ten o'clock.
Monday, January 4
At the store all day. Evening waiting on Orson Pratt and Amasa Lyman. Paid my tax today, $2.17½ to I. C. Wright.
Tuesday, January 5
At the store all day. Evening the band met at my house.
Wednesday, January 6
At the store all day, the weather extremely cold.
Thursday, January 7
At the store, the weather still colder than yesterday. Evening went to Sister Buel's and took supper of turkey. Afterwards went to Leonard's and played for them with Hutchinson and Smithies till 12:00.
Friday, January 8
At the store again, the weather still colder. Evening the band met at my house and played some.
Saturday, January 9
At the store all day. Quite unwell till 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 10
At home mostly all day. About 2:00 p.m. went to Hutchinson's to dinner.
Monday, January 11
At the store all day, the weather more moderate. Margaret and her boy doing well. Last night Pitt returned from Missouri.
Tuesday, January 12
This morning Ruth began to feel unwell. I went to the store and continued settlements as usual. Brothers Lee and Russell returned from Missouri, having obtained change for the checks. About 4:00 p.m. President Young and J. D. Lee came to Bishop Whitney's and I received in gold $496.17, and in silver $1,080.52 out of three checks which Lee took value $2,447.32, the balance to be accounted for hereafter. Soon as I was through receiving the money, I was informed that my folks had sent for me and I went home soon after, found that Ruth had brought forth a son twenty minutes after 5:00 p.m. She had a pretty hard time, but feels comfortable as can be expected. The boy is named Newel Horace. Evening I met with the band at Johnson's and played till about 11:00 p.m. The house was very much crowded and not much room to dance, but they kept it up freely.
Wednesday, January 13
This morning Ruth feels more comfortable. At the store all day waiting for Lee and Russel to settle. Evening Russel came and I received from him in gold $177.50, and in silver $363.19. He also accounted for $150.00 paid to Heber and $30.00 to Daniel Russel out of a check value $732.53 leaving him deficit $11.84. Spent the evening at home.
Thursday, January 14
At the store paying out a pair of the money, expecting before I made final payments to settle with Lee and Egan.
Friday, January 15
Spent an hour with Lee and Egan at my house but did not accomplish much towards a settlement. Afterwards at the store paying out money, settling, etc., filled bills for Pisgah & Garden Grove.
Saturday, January 16
At the store again paying, settling, etc., all day. The weather very cold. My folks doing well.
Sunday, January 17
At home mostly all day.
Monday, January 18
At the store all day, mostly paying money to the soldiers' wives.
Tuesday, January 19
At the store paying money, etc.
Wednesday, January 20
At the store paying money, etc.
Thursday, January 21
At the store paying money, etc.
Friday, January 22
At the store paying money, etc. Evening went with Hutchinson to Packer's party and played for the party in the smoke till near midnight.
Saturday, January 23
At the store all day paying money, etc. Evening met with Pitt and Hutchinson at the council house.
Sunday, January 24
Headache all day having taken cold last evening. Mostly at home. A few hours at the store over the river and back. Night played with Pitt awhile.
Monday, January 25
At the store, very busy paying money, etc. Snowed some and is cold. Whitney let me have some goods. Evening walked alone.
Tuesday, January 26
At the store till 2:00 p.m. Afterward went with the Quadrille Band to the Council House agreeably to previous notice and played for a party of men (70's) and their families who had assisted in building the house. They danced till about midnight. We had plenty to eat and drink through the interview and a very pleasant party.
Wednesday, January 27
At the store again till noon. At 2:00 p.m. at the Council House with the Quadrille Band and played for another company of those who had assisted in building the house. We had plenty of refreshments and a very sociable party as on yesterday. Broke up again about midnight.
Thursday, January 28
At the store till noon, and then at the Council House with the Quadrille Band playing for the third party of those who had assisted in building the house, together with the poor basket makers.
Friday, January 29
At home and the store. Felt quite unwell.
Saturday, January 30
At the store all day settling and paying money to soldiers' wives.
Sunday, January 31
At home all day. Dined with Diantha, Ruth, Margaret and mother Farr on a turkey.
February 1847
Monday, February 1
At the store all day settling accounts, paying money, etc.
Tuesday, February 2
At the store till noon. Afterwards at the Council House with the Quadrille Band playing for Brigham's family generally.
Wednesday, February 3
At the store till noon. Afterwards at the Council House with the Quadrille Band to play for a family meeting of the Young family. President Brigham Young was quite sick and seemed very low spirited. After the meeting had been opened by prayer, the President called on his brothers to stand up by him in the center of the room which they did according to age. John Young took his place at the head, then Phineas, Joseph, Brigham and Lorenzo. The President then called on Heber to take his place in the line inasmuch as he had been recognized about fifteen years as a member of the Young family. He took his place between Joseph and Brigham. The President then said this was the first time that father Young's boys had been together in the same capacity for a number of years, etc. After a few remarks the remainder of the evening was spent by partaking of a good supper and cheerful dancing till about two in the morning, when the party broke up in the best of spirits and good feeling.
Thursday, February 4
At the store mostly, evening at home.
Friday, February 5
At the store till noon, then with the Quadrille Band to play for the Silver Greys till midnight.
Saturday, February 6
At the store all day.
Sunday, February 7
At home.
Monday, February 8
At the store all day.
Tuesday, February 9
At the store till 10:00 a.m. Then went with the Quadrille Band in Eldridge's carriage to play round the city, but the weather was so cold we could not play much. At 2:00 p.m., met with--
_[No pages from here until April.]_
April 1847
...into camp from England which will probably detain the camp a few days.
Friday, April 9
Went with the Quadrille Band over the River as the twelve do not start for the Horn today. We played in the boat as we crossed, but in returning the wind was high, the boat heavily loaded with cattle and dangerous crossing.
Saturday, April 10
At home nearly all day.
Sunday, April 11
At home and Farr's. I told Winslow Farr concerning Hosea Stout's threats to take my life after the Twelve are gone, etc. He called at night on his return from the Council and told me to be on my guard.
Monday, April 12
At home all day. Thomas and James had planted a number of garden seeds on Saturday. Today, they are cutting wood and preparing to go to the farm tomorrow. I have no hay, neither can I get any for my cows and horses.
Tuesday, April 13
At home most of the day. Thomas and James started for the farm. Evening went to the store and told Brigham and Heber about Hosea Stout's calculations, etc.
Wednesday, April 14
This morning severely pained with rheumatism in my face. At 11:00 a.m. Brigham and Dr. Richards came. Brigham told me to rise up and start with the pioneers in half an hour's notice. I delivered to him the records of the K. of G. and set my folks to work to get my clothes together to start with the pioneers. At two o'clock I left my family and started in Heber's carriage with Heber and Wm. Kimball and Ellen Sanders. Bishop Whitney and Lyman went out with us in another wagon. We went about 19 miles and camped on the prairie. After supper Heber prayed and we retired to rest.
Thursday, April 15
After eating and prayers by Bishop Whitney, started at half past seven and got to the Elk Horn at 11:30. We were all across at 12:00 and there we overtook Brigham, G. A. Smith, E. T. Benson and Amasa Lyman. We arrived at the pioneers' Camp about 3:00 p.m. This camp is about twelve miles from the Elk Horn and about 47 from Winter Quarters. I spent the evening with Aaron Farr, Horace Whitney and Jackson Redding.
Friday, April 16
This day is gloomy, windy and cold. About 8:00 a.m. the camp was called together, and organized two captains of 100's viz. Stephen Markham and A. P. Rockwood were appointed, also five captains of 50's and 14 captains of 10's. There are 143 men and boys on the list of the pioneer company, three women and Lorenzo Young's two children. There are 73 wagons. C. P. Rockwell has gone back to camp with J. C. Little. Bishop Whitney, Lyman, Wm. Kimball and J. B. Noble returned from here to Winter Quarters. The following is a list of all the names of this pioneer company. To wit:
Wilford Woodruff, John S. Fowler, Jacob Burnham, Orson Pratt, Joseph Egbert, John N. Freeman, Marcus B. Thorpe, George A. Smith, George Wardle, Thomas Grover, Ezra T. Benson, Barnabas L. Adams, Roswell Stevens, Amasa Lyman, Sterling Driggs, Albert Carrington, Thomas Bullock, George Brown, Willard Richards, Jesse C. Little, Phineas H. Young, John Y. Greene, Thomas Tanner, Brigham Young, Addison Everett, Truman O. Angel, Lorenzo Young and wife, Bryant Stringham, Albert P. Rockwood, Joseph L. Schofield, Luke Johnson, John Holman, Edmund Elsworth, Alvarnus Hanks, George R. Grant, Millen Atwood, Samuel Fox, Tunis Rappleyee, Harvey Pierce, William Dykes, Jacob Weiler, Stephen H. Goddard, Tarlton Lewis, Henry G. Sherwood, Zebedee Coltrin, Sylvester H. Earl, John Dixon, Samuel H. Marble, George Scholes, William Henrie, William A. Empey, Charles Shumway, Thomas Woolsey, Chancy Loveland, Erastus Snow, Andrew Shumway, James Craig, William Wordsworth, William Vance, Simeon Howd, Seeley Owen, James Case, Artemas Johnson, William A. Smoot, Franklin B. Dewey, William Carter, Franklin G. Losee, Burr Frost, Datus Ensign, Franklin B. Stewart, Monroe Frink, Eric Glines, Ozro Eastman, Seth Taft, Horace Thornton, Stephen Kelsey, John S. Eldredge, Charles D. Barnum, Alma M. Williams, Rufus Allen, Robert T. Thomas, James W. Stuart, Elijah Newman, Levi N. Kendall, Francis Boggs, David Grant, Heber C. Kimball, Howard Egan, William A. King, Thomas Cloward, Hosea Cushing, Robert Byard, George Billings, Edson Whipple, Philo Johnson, William Clayton, Appleton M. Harmon, Carlos Murray, Horace K. Whitney, Orson K. Whitney, Orrin P. Rockwell, Nathaniel Thomas Brown, R. Jackson Redding, John Pack, Francis M. Pomroy, Aaron Farr, Nathaniel Fairbanks, John S. Higbee, John Wheeler, Solomon Chamberlain, Conrad Kleinman, Joseph Rooker, Perry Fitzgerald, John H. Tippets, James Davenport, Henson Walker, Benjamin Rolfe, Norton Jacobs, Charles A. Harper, George Woodard, Stephen Markham, Lewis Barney, George Mills, Andrew Gibbons, Joseph Hancock, John W. Norton, Shadrach Roundy, Hans C. Hanson, Levi Jackman, Lyman Curtis, John Brown, Mathew Ivory, David Powell, (Hark Lay, Oscar Crosby, blacks) Joseph Mathews, Gilbroid Summe, John Gleason, Charles Burke, Alexander P. Chessley, Rodney Badger, Norman Taylor, (Green Flake, black) Ellis Eames.
There were 72 wagons, 93 horses, 52 mules, 66 oxen, 19 cows, and 17 dogs, and chickens.
The names of the females in this camp are: Harriet Page Young, Clarissa Decker, and Ellen Sanders. The names of the children are Isaac Perry Decker Young and Sabisky L. Young, making a total of 148 souls who have started to go west of the mountains as pioneers to find a home where the saints can live in peace and enjoy the fruits of their labors, and where we shall not be under the dominion of gentile governments, subject to the wrath of mobs and where the standards of peace can be raised, the Ensign to nations reared and the kingdom of God flourish until truth shall prevail, and the saints enjoy the fulness of the gospel.
The following are the names of the captains of 50's as appointed at this organization, viz. Addison Everett, Tarlton Lewis, James Case, John Pack and Shadrack Roundy. The captains of 10's are as follows:
Wilford Woodruff, Ezra T. Benson, Phineas H. Young, Luke Johnson, Stephen H. Goddard, Charles Shumway, James Case, Seth Taft, Howard Egan, Appleton M. Harmon, John S. Higbee, Norton Jacobs, John Brown, Joseph Mathews. For the names of the guard and the gun division see under date of April 30th.
Stephen Markham was appointed the Captain of the Guard and ordered to select out of the camp, fifty men for guard, such as he had confidence in who are to be considered as a standing guard, to attend to the wagons each night, twelve of them to stand at a time, and to have two sets each night, that is, 12 each watch to stand half the night. In cases where the horses and cattle are tied some distance from the wagons at night, an extra guard is to be selected from the balance of the company or camp, the standing guard not being permitted to leave the immediate neighborhood of the wagons. After the organization was over, I wrote a letter to Diantha, and put it into the hands of Bishop Whitney, together with the one I received yesterday from father and I. McEwan, also the one from Ellen to James. Up to 12:00 a.m. I had no place to put my trunk and clothing, and did not know what to do with them. However, soon after Heber told me to put them in Appleton M. Harmon's wagon, which was done. At 2:00 p m. the camp started out to proceed on the journey. I bid farewell to to Bishop Whitney and his brother Lyman and son Joshua, who all returned from this place, also Wm. H. Kimball and Joseph B. Noble. We traveled about three miles and encamped in a line about six hundred yards from timber, where there is plenty of cottonwood and some rushes. This night I slept with Philo Johnson, but having only one quilt, and the night severely cold, I suffered much, and took a very bad cold. The country in the neighborhood of the Elk Horn is one of the most beautiful I ever saw. The bluffs on the east are nicely rolling and beautifully lined with timber, and some very nice cedar groves. From these bluffs a little above the ferry you can see the meanderings of the Platte River, and the beautiful level bottom on the north of it, about fifteen miles wide for many miles up the river. The Horn is a beautiful river about 150 feet wide and about four feet deep.
Saturday, April 17
This morning the weather is severely cold, with a strong wind from the north and northwest. We started out at nine o'clock and traveled till near 12:00 the distance being about seven miles. We camped close by a cottonwood grove, and the brethren fell hundreds of them to feed their teams and save corn. There is a small lake close by but the water is not good and the brethren go to the river about a half a mile. At 5:00 p.m. the camps were called together and organized in military order as follows:
Brigham Young, Lieutenant General.
Stephen Markham, Colonel.
John Pack and Shadrack Roundy, Majors.
The captains of 10's to be captains of 10's in this order, except John Pack, who being appointed major, Appleton M. Harmon was appointed captain in his stead.
Thomas Bullock, clerk of the camp. Thomas Tanner captain of the cannon with the privilege of choosing eight men to manage it in case of necessity. The President then said: "After we start from here, every man must keep his loaded gun in his hand, or in the wagon where he can put his hand on it at a moment's warning. If they are cap locks, take off the cap and put on a little leather to keep wet and etc. out. If flint locks, take out the priming and fill the pan with twine or cotton," etc.
The wagons must keep together when traveling, and not separate as they have previously done, and every man to walk beside his own wagon, and not leave it only by permission. A while before evening one of the trader's wagons came from the Pawnee village, loaded with furs and peltry, and camped about one quarter of a mile below us. At night Eames and Hanson played some on their violins. All peace and quietness. At night I slept with Egan in Heber's wagon, Heber being gone to sleep with President Young.
Sunday, April 18
This morning I wrote a letter for Heber to his wife Vilate, which was sent by Brother Ellis Eames who has concluded to go back on account of poor health, spitting blood, etc. He started back with the trader's wagon about eight o'clock a.m. The wind this morning east and southeast and very cold, with a slight shower of snow. At 10:00 a.m. seven more traders' wagons came in and stopped about one quarter of a mile below us, soon after six mules loaded with robes and furs. These traders say they have come from the Pawnee village in two days. Brother Roundy got some Buffalo meat from them and gave me a little, which I thought tasted very good. I commenced writing Heber's journal and wrote considerable. He wants me to write his journal all the journey. I also wrote considerable in this book. Afternoon the weather more moderate and pleasant, the wind has changed near south and the sun shines. I walked with Horace Whitney to the river which is about a half a mile. At 4:30 p.m. father James Case was cutting a cottonwood tree to brouse his horses, and just as it fell the wind struck it and threw it directly contrary to the direction he intended it to fall. The consequence was, one of the limbs struck an ox on the neck and knocked him down. His right eye was knocked down in the socket out of sight. The ox doesn't seem seriously hurt otherwise. About 10 minutes after it was done, the eye turned back to its place, and the ox seems to have sustained little injury. At 5:00 p.m., the officers of the camp met with President Young, and he told the order for traveling and camping hereafter, which was communicated to the companies by the captains of 10's as follows:
At 5:00 in the morning the bugle is to be sounded as a signal for every man to arise and attend prayers before he leaves his wagon. Then cooking, eating, feeding teams, etc., till seven o'clock, at which time the camp is to move at the sound of the bugle. Each teamster to keep beside his team, with his loaded gun in his hands or in his wagon where he can get it in a moment. The extra men, each to walk opposite his wagon with his loaded gun on his shoulder, and no man to be permitted to leave his wagon unless he obtains permission from his officer. In case of an attack from Indians or hostile appearances, the wagons to travel in double file. The order of encampment to be in a circle with the mouth of the wagon to the outside, and the horses and stock tied inside the circle. At 8:30 p.m. the bugle to be sounded again at which time all to have prayers in their wagons and to retire to rest by nine o'clock. Tonight I went to bed about seven-thirty o'clock suffering severely with pain in my head and face. I slept with Philo Johnson.
Monday, April 19
At 5:00 a.m., at the sound of the bugle I arose, my face still paining me very badly. After eating breakfast, I started out on foot, before the wagons started, with my rifle on my shoulder. At 7:15 the wagons began to move and at 7:30 were all formed in double file and proceeded on. After traveling about eight miles we arrived at a number of small lakes, where were many ducks. A number of the brethren shot at them and killed several. At 1:15 p.m. we arrived at a bend in the river where a small stream runs around an island.
We stayed here to feed awhile, having traveled about fifteen miles mostly a western course with the wind south. The roads very good and the country very level on these flat bottoms of the Platte river which bottoms appear to be from ten to fifteen miles wide. Soon after the camp was formed, O. P. Rockwell, Jackson Redding, and J. C. Little came in from Winter Quarters. They arrived at 2:10. They have found Dr. Richard's mare which was lost east of the Elk Horn and brought her to camp. They brought me a line from Diantha and one from Ruth and Margaret. In the last was a very gentle piece of information which has caused me to reflect much, and proves to me that Ruth and Margaret's virtue and integrity have for the last year been far superior to mine. In my letter to them I requested them to attend to family prayer in my absence, a thing which I have neglected since leaving Nauvoo. They informed me that they had done that when I was at home but unknown to me, and they had then, and still continue to bear me up before their Heavenly Father. Oh, what integrity, what faithfulness. I feel unworthy to possess two such treasures, but still feel to try to reward them for it, and may my Father in heaven bless them, and all my family and let his angels guard them, and me during my absence that we may all be permitted to meet again and enjoy each other's society in this world for many years to come, and eternal in the world to come. O! Lord, grant this prayer of thine unworthy servant, and fill my family with peace and union, and open a way that they may have the necessaries and comforts of life, and Thy name shall have the praise, even so, amen.