Heritage Gateways

William Clayton Journals

July 25, 1847

Location: Summit of last ridge - 11 miles left, Utah - ["Little Mountain"]. (The descent is very steep, all the way, till you arrive on the banks of Last ["Emigration"] Creek.) - 1020 1/4 miles from Winter Quarters.

Summary: Before Brother Horace Whitney departs he expresses to the Brethren his wishes for their healthy lifestyle.

Journal entry: SUNDAY, 25TH. Morning fine and pleasant. At ten o'clock a meeting was held in the camp and the brethren addressed successively by Elders G. A. Smith, H. C. Kimball and E. T. Benson these mostly expressing their feeling of gratification for the prospects of this country, each being highly satisfied with the soil, etc. Elder Kimball referred especially to the manifold blessings we have been favored with during the journey. Not a man, woman, or child has died on the journey, not even a horse, mule, ox, cow or chicken has died during the whole journey. Many exhortations were given to the brethren to be faithful, obey the council of those in authority and we shall be blessed and prosperous.

At 1:00 p. m. by request of Elder Kimball, the following persons viz.: Howard Egan, Hans C. Hanson, Jackson Redding, Carlos Murray, Thomas Cloward, George Billings, Philo Johnson, Charles Harper, Edson Whipple, Wm. A. King, Hosea Cusing, Robert Byard, Orson K. Whitney and Horace Whitney, assembled themselves in a willow grove adjacent to the camp where Elder Kimball addressed them in substance as follows: *The whole reported by Horace Whitney.

*"Most of you here present have become adopted into my family, except a very few - calling them by name - and Horace, who base become connected with my family by marriage, but I do not care for that, you are all the same to me, and your interest is my interest for what's mine is yours and what's yours is your own. If I have the privilege of building a house, I want you to help me and I will help you. Horace will want to build a house for some of his father's family if they should come up and there is plenty of timber in the hills. When my family comes up, we may conclude to settle somewhere else. If so, there will be plenty to buy us out if we shall have made any improvements. I want you all to be prudent and take care of your horses, cattle and everything entrusted to your care. It would be a good plan and probably will be done for those who stay here, to go back on the Sweet Water and kill buffalo, etc., for winter consumption.

We shall go tomorrow if Brigham is well enough, in search of a better location-if indeed, such can be found-if not, we shall remain here. There should be an enclosure made for the purpose of keeping the horses and cattle in nights for there are plenty of Indians in the vicinity. I should advise you to keep the Sabbath day holy whether others do or not.

I want you to put all the seed into the ground that you think will come to maturity. I am satisfied that buckwheat will do as well here as any other seed we can grow. I want also some peach stones and apple seeds to be planted forthwith. Brother Byard and Hans I would like to have immediately engage in making garments of buck skins, Brother Cloward in making shoes and Brother Johnson in making hats as soon as practicable.

If you wish to go hunting, fishing, or to see the country, select a week day and not the Lords' day for that purpose. Do not let us get giddy and light minded as the Nephites did of old, but strive to work righteousness in the beginning, inasmuch as we have,- cached the promised land. If it is advisable to work in a family capacity, we will do so; and if in a church capacity, we should be equally willing to do that.

I am going out on a scout with the brethren and I shall probably want one or two of you to go with me and also one or two wagons. I am not going to take anything back with me to Winter Quarters except what is actually necessary, even some of my clothes I shall leave behind. I shall leave Bishop Whipple with you. He is quite a steady and economical man, and as such I recommend him to you. I want every man to be as industrious as possible while I am gone and get into the ground all the turnips, cabbage and other seeds you can. In case a storm of snow should come on, it would be advisable to drive all the cattle among the willows where they can remain until the snow goes off. I want you all to work together until such time as every man can have his inheritance set off to him. I feel towards you as a father towards his children and I want you to banish all peevishness from your midst and accommodate yourselves as much as possible to each other's wishes.

I have it to say that my boys have been faithful to their various duties on this journey and other people have noticed it and expressed the opinion that they never saw such an attentive set of men in their lives, and I consider that their conduct is worthy of imitation. I want you to be sober and prayerful and remember me and my family in your prayers. A number of other good ideas were advanced by Brother Heber and then we closed the meeting by prayer.

At 2:00 p. m. the brethren again assembled within the camp and were successively addressed by Elders Woodruff, Orson Pratt and W. Richards sustaining the ideas advanced by the other brethren this morning. Some remarks followed from Lorenzo Young, John Pack and others and the meeting was dismissed. It is contemplated to send sonic wagons back to lighten the loads and assist the next company over these rough roads. It is now certain that there is considerable timber in the ravines and valleys between the mountains, several large bodies having been seen by the brethren since our arrival. There is a mountain lying northeast from here on which is considerably large timber. It is supposed to be about ten miles distance. The northern expedition is given up for the present on account of President Young's health. A company intends to go tomorrow to the lake and survey that region. If they go, they will probably be gone a day or two.

Source: William Clayton's Journal

Published by the Clayton Family Association, and edited by Lawrence Clayton. To the best of our research, this contents of this book are no longer under copyright.