Brigham
Young and other leaders continued their exploration of the land to the north of
Cutler’s Park, seeking “Old Council Bluffs.”
They arose early, had breakfast and prayers, and then set off on their
journey. At 6 a.m., they started
heading back down the river. They built
two small bridges over streams and ascended back up the bluffs on an Indian
trail, heading south.
Wilford
Woodruff wrote: “We passed through a
flat about 2 miles across it with pea vines grass woods & cane from 5 to 10
feet high which we had to wallow through with our horses & waggons.”
The weary
explorers finally reached their destination near dusk. Brigham Young’s history records:
. . .
arrived at the magazine [ammunition
building] of the old Council Bluffs, the walls of which were standing, the
building was about eighteen by twenty‑four feet; this had been a military
post of the United States, some thirty years ago, established to counteract
British influence among the Indians.
Here, the creek forms an island, which is covered with poplars, on the
south is a ravine and the foundation of the arsenal twenty‑eight feet by
sixty‑eight or thereabouts, besides other excavations and underground
works.
Wilford
Woodruff added: “There was nothing
standing of the old barracks except the body of the Magazine with one gable end
composed of brick arched over. . . . We looked about the premises of the old
Council Bluffs about half an hour & seeing nothing inviting, we started home.”
The
brethren then traveled to the west and found a small spring about a half mile
away. Here, they established camp for
the night. They saw a couple of deer
and signs of elk nearby. It was a nice
camp but they were “much annoyed by mosquitoes.”
A
daughter, Emma Jane Dixon, was born to William and Sabra Dixon.1
Mormon men
in Nauvoo started to train in preparation to defend the city from the mob. Non-Mormon Lewis Bidamon (future husband of
Emma Smith) while traveling to Quincy, was intercepted by a leader of the mob
who threatened to take him to the anti‑Mormon camp. Bidamon was freed and in the evening left
for Springfield to take some dispatches to the governor.
The
battalion marched for fifteen miles over a flat prairie, seeing many
grasshoppers, and sun flowers three inches in diameter. The dust from the trail was very irritating
to the eyes of Azariah Smith, so he marched ahead of his company. They camped about a mile south of a location
called Lost Spring. It received this
name because “of its being in such a lonesome place and so far from the
timber.” They did their cooking by
digging a hole in the ground and burning weeds.2
The
Mississippi Saints continued to establish their settlement for the winter on
the Arkansas River, in present-day Colorado.
There were a number of brethren who had made this long journey without
their families. It was time for them to
return and retrieve them. Those staying
behind were organized into a branch and counseled to build cabins in the form
of a fort. They were instructed to stay
at Pueblo until they received word from Church headquarters as to where they
should go. “They were much disappointed
as they expected to get with the main body of the Church. We comforted them all we could and left our
blessing with them.”
Those who
left included, William Crosby, D.M. Thomas, John D. Holladay, William Lay,
James Smithson, George W. Bankhead, and a man by the name of Wales Bonny who
had been to Oregon.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 359‑60; Journal of Henry Standage in
Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 159; Wilford Woodruff’s
Journal, 3:74; Our Pioneer Heritage, 2:428; Avery and Newell, BYU
Studies, 19:3:378; Kimball, Historic Sites and Markers along the Mormon
and Other Great Western Trail, 190; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket,
120‑21; Bigler, The Gold Discovery Journal of Azariah Smith, 23
After
breakfast and prayer, Brigham Young and his company of explorers took the
Indian trail back to Cutler’s Park, where they arrived at 10:30 a.m. after a
journey of about ten miles.
Letters
were received which informed the camp about the deaths of William Huntington
and Samuel Bent, the presidents of Mount Pisgah and Garden Grove settlements.
Patty
Sessions was feeling well enough to write in her diary. She recorded her experience during her
terrible illness:
When they
told me I was almost gone, I felt calm and composed. Told them where my
garments were and all things necessary for my burial and requested to have the
latitude and longitude taken where I was lain. Also to have cedar posts put
down in my grave with my name cut on them so that I could be found when called
for. Many thought I was dying and the news went out that I was dead, but the
Saints held on to me by faith and prayers and through their faith and the power
of the Priesthood, I was raised. I got so low that a teaspoon full of cold
water or rice water at a time was all I could take for two days. Brigham said
they must all hang on to me as long as I breathed and for five minutes after I
had done breathing. I had the best care taken of me, friends came from almost
every part of the camp to visit me and to sit up with me. I feel thankful to
God that I got in that camp for I think I must have died had I been anywhere
else but with the main body of the Church.
The
battalion traveled fifteen miles and camped at Cottonwood Creek, northwest of
present-day Durham. They had arrived on
land inhabited by the Comanches. Lt.
Smith detailed men to guard both the front and rear of the marching
battalion. They found some cottonwood,
walnut and elm trees along the creek.
Green wood was used to cook their rations.
Lt. Smith
wrote a letter to Adjutant General Roger Jones in Washington, D.C. He informed the General that he had taken
command of the Battalion at Council Grove and would lead it to General
Kearny. He reported, “we are getting
along very well so far & I am in hopes to reach Genl K in good
season.”
Over one
hundred miles to the west of Winter Quarters, Jacob Gates wrote a letter to
Brigham Young. He informed President
Young that the majority of George Miller’s company was gone to the Ponca
Village. Fourteen families had been
persuaded to stay behind. They had
moved into the houses at the mission and were doing well. The Pawnees had returned from their hunting
trip about a week after George Miller’s company left. So far they were friendly, although some were displeased because
much of their corn had been destroyed by George Miller’s group. Jacob Gates, and the brethren who stayed
behind, met with the Indians and promised to help them harvest the corn. This labor would be appreciated by the
Indians because the departed Protestant missionaries had promised to help. The Pawnee wanted the brethren to stay, but
some thievery took place which discouraged some of the Saints and made them
want to leave. Jacob Gates committed to
Brigham Young that he would stay until he was driven away or counseled by
President Young to leave.
Sidney
Rigdon, leader of The Church of Christ, issued a proclamation in his
periodical, Messenger and Advocate of the Church of Christ. He declared to the world:
The time is
at hand when all shall know, whether they believe us now or not, that what we
have here written, is the truth of heaven; ‑‑ for this generation
shall not pass till all is fulfilled.
Then as Noah did to the old world, so do we to the new world, and
proclaim to all the inhabitants thereof, that this world is drawing near its
close, the present order of things is shortly to pass away, and the Lord
himself is about to take to himself his great power, and get to himself a great
name.
William
Medill of the War Department wrote a letter to Major Thomas H. Harvey of the
Indian Bureau regarding the Mormon’s request to stay on Indian lands for
awhile. “If their continuance is really
to be temporary and for such length of time only as will enable them to supply
their wants and procure the necessary means for proceeding on their journey,
the Government will interpose no objections.”
He understood that winter was approaching and that the Mormons were in a
difficult situation. He was worried
that they might choose to stay longer.
If they did, it would delay the survey and sales of the lands, it would
bring difficulty between Iowa in their efforts with the federal government to
become a state, and it would interfere with the removal of the Indians.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 360‑61, 374; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal,
3:74; Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844‑1861,
190; Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
159; Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, 1:302; Van Wagoner, Sidney Rigdon, 390;
Kimball, Historic Sites and Markers along the Mormon and Other Great Western
Trails, 190; A.J. Smith to Adjutant General Robert Jones, September 2,
1846; Patty Session diary in Our Pioneer Heritage, 2:62
Brigham
Young spent the morning traveling around the camp and visiting with the
sick. Willard Richards visited with
many of the sisters in camp who had husbands away in the Mormon Battalion. Elder Richards gave many of them money to
meet their immediate needs. Wilford
Woodruff traded his gun with Amasa Lyman for a rifle. They spent some time shooting their new guns.
At 5 p.m.,
the Twelve met with the High Council. A
report was given by Elder Orson Pratt regarding his negotiations with the Otoe
and Omaha Indian nations. (See
August 31, 1846.)
Brigham
Young reported on the trip to Old Council Bluffs. They concluded that site was not suitable for a settlement
because of a lack of timber in the area.
However, the ruins from the old fort, did contain plenty of brick and
stones that could be used to build houses.
The
council decided to appoint Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and others to find a
good location for a new ferry crossing which would be closer to their current
location at Cutler’s Park. Elder
Kimball recommended that the brethren cut hay down by the river, and that the
cattle that were not needed, would be herded to the north to feed among the pea
vines.
A letter
from the Nauvoo Trustees was read which reported some of the terrible events
taking place around Nauvoo. Because of
these activities, the Trustees felt that they could not send the men that
Brigham Young requested to be sent to the main camp to help make preparations
for the winter.
After
three days of very long marches, many of the men’s health failed. Private Samuel Hollister Rogers started the
day marching ahead of his company because he did not feel well enough to march
among the ranks. Soon he was not even
able to walk and spent the rest of the day riding in one of the baggage wagons.
The new
company surgeon, Dr. George Sanderson, became frustrated with the sick because
they would not take his medicine.
Brigham Young had counseled the men to stay away from taking medicine,
which was largely experimental at that time.
He had told them, “If you are sick, live by faith, and let surgeon’s
medicine alone if you want to live, using only such herbs and mild food as are
at your disposal.”
Lieutenant
Smith and Dr. Sanderson ordered all of the sick out of the wagons to be
examined. Sergeant Thomas S. Williams
had a few sick men in his wagon. When
Lt. Smith approached to pull the sick out, Brother Williams “ordered” him to
stop. Lt. Smith became furious and drew
his sword. He threatened to run
Williams through if he carried any more sick in his wagon without
permission. Brother Williams stood his
ground and defiantly told Lt. Smith that the team and wagon were his private
property and he would haul whom he pleased.
He said that these men were his brethren who did not believe in taking
drugs. He would never leave one lying
sick on the ground if there was room to put him in his wagon. Lt. Smith backed down and moved on.
Corporal
Thomas Dunn wrote:
They used
language that was truly heart rending, such that if we would not take their
medicine, we should go on foot and that if any was found to administer to the
sick medicine of any kind, they should have their throat cut. After some time, the sick placed themselves
in the wagons and were moved on. In the
course of the afternoon the doctor was heard to say that they would send all to
hell they could. They manifested a revengeful
spirit most of the time.
It was
also rumored that Dr. Sanderson was a former Missouri mobber “and had been
heard to say he did not care a damn whether he killed or cured, but Smith was
told plainly that before the men would take the doctor’s medicines they would
leave their bones to bleach on the prairies.”
Daniel
Tyler recorded that one of the men tried to explain that the battalion would
not take medicine because of religious reasons. When Lt. Smith asked Adjutant Dykes if this was true, Dykes
stated that there was no such religious belief.
The
battalion marched for twenty‑six miles over a large prairie without any
timber. They could not find wood or
water and had to camp on the open prairie for the night.
In the
evening, Lt. Smith sent orders that all the sick were to report to Dr. Sanderson
in the morning or they would be left on the prairie.
The
brethren who left the Mississippi Saints at Pueblo (see September 1, 1846)
reached Bent’s Fort. They learned about
the Mormon Battalion, who were on their way west. They also heard that a company of forty‑five men had left
the fort three days earlier, heading back for the states. The brethren decided that they would try to
overtake them, so that they could travel with
this company through hostile country.
Eliza
Graves Rich, a wife of Charles C. Rich, was still in Nauvoo. She had not been able to leave Nauvoo
because of a sick baby. She spent long
months being harassed by some of the new citizens of Nauvoo. As time passed, she heard nothing from her
husband. He had sent a friend with
money to bring her to Mount Pisgah but the man never arrived. The town gossiped that Eliza Rich and been
abandoned by her husband. On this day,
a messenger arrived to take Eliza Rich and her mother to Mount Pisgah.
An
agreement was reached about this time between Major Parker and Colonel
Singleton, the leader of the mob. The
Mormons would be given sixty days to get out of the city. In the meantime a force of twenty‑five
men from the mob would be stationed in the city. Half of their expenses would be covered by the citizens of
Nauvoo. The Mormons were to surrender
their arms which would be returned to them when they left the state. As soon as the arms were gathered, the mob
would disperse and all hostilities would cease. The two leaders signed this agreement, but the Nauvoo citizens
“unanimously rejected” it. This
agreement made no mention whatsoever of William Pickett. The mob had been claiming that they were
just a posse to arrest Pickett, but their true intentions were shown by this proposed agreement.
A
daughter, Mary Ann Collett, was born to Daniel and Esther Collett.3
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 361‑63; Journal of Henry Standage in
Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 159; “Private Journal of
Thomas Dunn,” typescript, 7; Tyler, A Concise History of the Mormon
Battalion, 144‑46; “Journal Extracts of Henry W. Bigler,” Utah
Historical Quarterly, 5:2:38; Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 122‑24;
Arrington, Charles C. Rich, 107; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 3:74‑75;
Rich, Ensign to the Nations, 41; Our Pioneer Heritage, 2:428;
Black, Membership of the Church 1830‑1848
Brigham
Young and Lorenzo Dow Young went south toward the ferry, hoping to meet up with
their brothers, John and Joseph Young.
Albert P. Rockwood traveled north to search for some good pastures and
found some excellent land. Willard
Richards continued to disperse funds to the wives of battalion members. Wilford Woodruff visited many that were sick
in camp. Efforts were made to cut hay,
but there were still so many who were sick and could not work.
Jonathan
H. Hale, a longtime church member, and member of the High Council at Council
Point, died of the fever. His wife was
also very sick and gave up her desire to live.
She was kneeling beside the bed of Jonathan when he died. Her son Aroet, led her to the wagon which
was in the rear of the tent. She called
for Sister Allred and Sister Morley and gave instructions for her husband’s
burial. She also told them that she
wanted her sister, Clarisa Harriman, to have her eight-day-old infant
child. Sister Harriman had crossed over
the river at Cutler’s Park.
Joseph
Hovey wrote:
We came
near the ferry on the [Missouri] River.
Brother Brigham and Lorenzo Young met us there. They crossed the river to meet us. I was pleased to see President Brigham Young
after not seeing him for seven months.
He looked very much like Brother Joseph, the Seer, so much so that at
first sight I thought he was the Prophet Joseph. President Brigham administered to my wife who was very sick. She felt some better.
William
Dally and Mandanda Hillman were married at Trader’s Point.4
It was
about this time that Emma Smith, the widow of the prophet Joseph, received an
anonymous threat that “if she did not move out of the house in three days, it
would be burned over her head.” On the
third day, Emma put her children to bed on the ground floor where they could
make a quick exit. They awoke the next
morning safe, but found a pile of charred sticks and leaves against the north
side of house. Flames had scorched the
siding but the fire had gone out before doing much damage.
Judge John
K. Kane wrote a letter to his son Thomas L. Kane. He was relieved to hear that his son was feeling better. He then reported the results of his visit to
President Polk. “I saw the President
last week, and talked over the whole subject.
He assured me definitely that the Mormon should not be disturbed.”
In the
morning, the sick reluctantly reported to Dr. Sanderson for their dose of
calomel medicine. Samuel Hollister
Rogers wrote, “The Colonel and surgeon are determined to kill us, first by
forced marches to make us sick, then by compelling us to take calomel5 or to walk to do duty.”
At first
the medicine was issued to each man on a piece of paper that some would take
back to camp and bury. Later, Dr.
Sanderson insisted that the medicine be taken in his presence from an old iron
spoon. Daniel Tyler wrote: “It was believed by many that this spoon had
been thrown away by some soldier at the garrison and picked up by the Doctor,
thinking a new one would be either too expensive or too good for the ‘Mormons’
to use in taking their medicine.” It
soon became routine for the sick to march each morning to the tune of “Jim
along Joe” to Dr. Sanderson’s quarters.
The men detested a rule stating that no one could administer herbs to
the sick, except for Dr. Sanderson.
William Coray wrote, “Hard time, now that the Tyrants are over us.”
The
battalion set off on their march early and travelled about twenty‑four
miles to a small creek which was thought to be a fork of the Arkansas River.6 They were told that they
were near buffalo country and looked forward to seeing thousands of buffalo
soon. They saw prickly pear cacti for
the first time on this day.
In an
evening about this time, Lt. Smith patrolled the camp to see if the guards were
doing their duty. He was halted by
Thomas Howell. Lt. Smith gave an
incorrect password so Brother Howell held him prisoner until the arrival of his
relief guard. Lt. Smith was furious,
but he had apparently given the password of the previous night. He was later shown the correct password in
his own handwriting by Adjutant George Dykes.
The news
of Colonel James Allen’s death reached Washington. Secretary of War, William L. Marcy immediately requested that a
replacement be named. Adjutant General
Roger Johns did not feel that Lt. Smith had sufficient rank and experience to
be appointed to this command. Jones
appointed Captain P.B. Thompson, stationed at Jefferson Barracks near St.
Louis, to take over the command of the Mormon Battalion.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 363‑66; Wilford Woodruff’s Journal,
3:75; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah Historical Quarterly, 14:147;
Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
159; Tyler, A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion, 147‑48;
“Aroet Hale Autobiography,” typescript, BYU, 11; Newell and Avery, Mormon
Enigma‑‑Emma Hale Smith, 236; Kimball, Historic Sites and
Markers along the Mormon and Other Great Western Trails, 194‑95;
Yurtinus, A Ram in the Thicket, 124‑26; “William Coray Journal”;
“Joseph Hovey Autobiography,” BYU, p.40
Heber C.
Kimball, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff and a few others went to search for a
location for a ferry crossing. They
started their search about five miles downriver. Using a leather boat, they crossed the river to meet Isaac Morley
and others from the east side who were also helping to find a good place to
establish the ferry. They observed
plenty of wildlife on their search:
deer, turkey, wolves, and about two hundred geese on the water. The elderberries and grapes were numerous
and they picked about two bushels. A
good location for a new ferry was found about twenty miles upriver from Council
Point. This site would eliminate the
long and hazardous journey up the steep bluffs across from the current ferry.
Thomas L.
Kane, feeling much better, was preparing to return to his home in Philadelphia.
In the
evening at 7 p.m., a meeting with the High Council was held at Albert P.
Rockwood’s tent. A report was presented
of the labor performed in Brigham Young’s company. They had thus far cut and hauled 657 tons of hay. Hosea Stout reported that there were 70
officers and 231 privates of the Nauvoo Legion in the camp. More help was needed to herd the camp’s
sheep. Charles Bird was authorized to
call upon the sheep owners for help. If
they did not provide help, the expense would be paid with sheep.
Joseph
Hovey crossed over the ferry in the morning and spent that day traveling toward
Cutler’s Park. He wrote:
About 11
o’clock, I took a severe attack of ague and fever. I shook from head to foot.
We tied our cattle to the side of the flat boat and swam them across the
river. Brother Brigham asked if he
should drive my team to camp and have my wife and Joseph and our little babe
ride in his buggy wagon and let Brother Lorenzo drive them. We had about 14 miles to go to reach
camp. We arrived at the camp of the
Saints about sundown. I had a very hot
fever and my wife Martha was so sick she could not sit up. My son Joseph was also very sick. Brother Young took us in his tent. Truly I felt to thank my Heavenly Father for
his kindness and mercy in sparing our lives and also that I had the opportunity
again of beholding my brethren and the grand spectacle of beholding the Camp of
Israel on a prairie far from her nativity.
I feel very thankful to Brother Brigham for his kindness in taking my
tent and in meeting us. Truly I shall
always remember it, for the prophet of the Lord to drive my tent was an example
of service to me. It reminded me of
what Jesus said, ‘Whosoever shall be great among you let him be your minister;
even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but minister.’ I hope
that I may always do likewise.
The
battalion marched on a barren prairie.
The grass was less then four inches high. Many of the tired men could not keep up and were scattered along
the trail.
After
traveling about twenty miles, they made their camp on Cow Creek, in Rice
County. The creek was bordered with
many of wild grapes. They met up with
thirty wagons of provisions -- a welcome relief. Some Indians were seen nearby so Lt. Smith posted an extra guard
during the night. Levi Hancock, David
Pettigrew, and William Hyde met together to pray for the sick.
John
Taylor and Orson Hyde were in New York City on their way to journey to England. On this day, John Taylor wrote a poem of
sorts, in the album of Abby Jane Hart of New York City. Included here is a portion:
Abby: Knowest thou whence thou camest? Thine
Origin? Who thou art? What? and whither Thou art bound? A chrysalis of yesterday: Today a gaudy fluttering butterfly‑‑A
moth; tomorrow crushed, and then an end Of thee. Is this so? And must thou perish Thus, and die ingloriously
without a Hope?
Ah, no;
thou’rt no such thing. Thou in the
Bosom of thy Father bask’d, and liv’d, and Mov’d thousands of years ago. Yes, e’er this Mundane sphere from chaos
sprung, or sun, or Moon, or stars, or world was fram’d: before the Sons of God for joy did shout, or
e’er the Morning stars together sung‑‑thou liv’dst.
Thou
liv’dst to live again. Ah, no! thou
liv’d But to continue life eternal‑‑to Live, and move, and act
eternally. Yes; Long as a spirit, God,
or world exists; From everlasting, eternal, without end. And whilst thou dwelt in thy paternal home,
And with thy brethren shar’d ecstatic bliss, All that a spirit could not
cloth’d in flesh, Thou through the vista of unnumbered years Saw’st through the
glimmering veil that thou would’st Dwell in flesh‑‑just as the
Gods. Tread in the Footsteps of thine
elder brother, Jesus‑‑The “Prince of Peace,” for whom a body was
Prepared.
Thou hop’d
for this. At length it came; and thou
Appear’d on this terraqueous ball, Body and spirit; a living soul, forth From
the hands of Elohim‑‑eternal As himself‑‑part of thy
God. A small spark Of Deity struck from
the fire of his Eternal blaze. Thou
came! thou came to live! Of life thou art A living monument; to it thou still
Dost cling eternal life. To thee all
else Are straw and chaff and bubbles, light as air; And will be all, until thou
gain once more Thy Father’s breast; rais’d, quicken’d, immortal; Body, spirit,
all: a God among the Gods forever
bles’t.
Watson, ed., Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 366‑67; “Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young,” Utah
Historical Quarterly, 14:147 Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 3:75;
Journal of Henry Standage in Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion,
159; Talbot, A Historical Guide to the Mormon Battalion and Butterfield
Trail, 25; Tyler, A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion, 147‑48;
Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, 388‑89; Kimball, Historic Sites and
Markers along the Mormon and Other Great Western Trails, 195; Yurtinus,
A Ram in the Thicket, 126‑27; “Joseph Hovey Autobiography,” BYU, 40
A Sabbath
meeting was held in the morning at the grove.
Speakers included Joseph Young, Orson Spencer, and Brigham Young. Many of the sick could not attend, but those
who could received excellent counsel from the brethren.
In the
afternoon, the members of the Twelve met together with the High Council. Albert P. Rockwood reported that there were
plenty of nice pastures located several miles to the north. The council agreed that cattle should be
sent there under the direction of John Tanner.
Brigham Young recommended that a small settlement be established above
Old Council Bluffs for those guarding the cattle. President Young also suggested that the council find a way to
send teams back to Nauvoo to help the brethren there remove the poor.
Ira
Eldredge was appointed to employ nine men to make a road to the location
selected for the new ferry. The
marshal, Horace Eldredge, was instructed to collect money from each camp
division to purchase wheat.
Joseph
Hovey wrote:
To look
around upon the camp and see the tents in motion and hear the large herds of
cattle lowing, it caused me to meditate upon the Camp of Israel in the days of
Moses. Says I to myself, ‘Can it be
possible that we have been driven from the land of our fathers who did lay down
their lives for our liberty that we might worship God according to the dictates
of our conscience?’ But I feel to rejoice that we have a promise of a more sure
inheritance, even when this earth shall be celestialized. That inspires my heart to endure all things.
The
battalion marched on a very sandy prairie with very little grass and they
passed over a ridge which they named Plum Buttes. From this high point, they were able to see three large herbs of
buffalo grazing on the western plains.
They also came across four dead buffalo which they supposed had been
killed by the Missouri Volunteers ahead.
The only portion that was used, was the tongue. Robert S. Bliss wrote, “[We] are told ahead
they are so thick that it is dangerous traveling for they when frightened will
rush & break through even the ranks of soldiers.”
For the
most part, the landscape was very flat.
John Steele wrote, “The eye may wander many miles without resting on any
object save the great expanse‑like ocean.”
After
marching about fourteen miles, they established their camp for the night. Soon, a thunderstorm rolled through the camp
and a cow was killed by lightning.
There was also no wood and they had to use buffalo chips for fuel. Some buffalo meat was brought into the camp,
later in the evening. Henry Standage
commented, “It was really the best meat I ever ate.”
John D.
Lee and Howard Egan arrived at the fort on the way to meet up with the Mormon
Battalion. James Pace, a battalion
member, also had traveled with them from St. Joseph, Missouri. He had been back to Council Bluffs to share
the news regarding Colonel Allen’s death and then was given permission to visit
his family in Mount Pisgah. Now, he was
traveling back to join his company.
Brother Lee and Pace met with Colonel J. Wharton, the commander for the
fort. Colonel Wharton asked them to
deliver some mail to Santa Fe.
Elder
Addison Pratt administered the sacrament to the Saints on one of the
islands. A woman came to him asking
that her name be taken off the Church records.
“Said she was tired of trying to serve the lord. Said she wisht to go and serve the devil
with her whole heart.”