Heritage Gateways

Pioneer Date Summary

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03/29/1847 - Crockett

Location: Winter Quarters - 1014 miles left, Nebraska - Location: 41:21:41N 95:56:45W Currently the site of Florence, Nebraska, Winter Quarters was settled in September, 1846 as a temporary resting place for the pioneers. It is located just west of the Missouri river in Nebraska.

Date: March 30, 1847

Winter Quarters, Nebraska:
A meeting was held in the Council House with the captains of the companies and the pioneers. Twenty-five pioneers reported that they were ready to start the journey. Thirty-two others said they would be ready within two days. Brigham Young requested that those who were ready should assist moving families up to "Summer Quarters," about twenty miles to the north. John D. Lee was appointed to move his family to the farm. Ezra T. Benson would act in his place as a captain in the pioneer company. Some of the pioneer should start the journey to the Elkhorn river on the following morning.

A terrible accident occurred. Two mules were hitched to a blacksmith shop. They pulled down the shop and timbers fell upon several men at work in the shop. Wilford Woodruff reported, "A large stick fell upon the head of Brother Little John Utley & was a wonder that it had not broke his head & neck both. It injured him severely. He was carried into the house. Several of us laid hands upon him & I prayed with him."

John D. Lee started his journey to Summer Quarters. By 8 p.m., his company reached a creek three miles north of the fort ruins at Old Council Bluff.

Hosea Stout had difficulty raising the city guards because so many were sick, absent, or preparing to go with the pioneers.

Elizabeth McFate Richards died. She was the wife of Franklin D. Richards.

Near Council Bluffs, in Iowa:
Levi Jackman and Lyman Curtis left their homes to begin their journey to join the historic pioneer company. Brother Jackman wrote: "I left home in company with Lyman Curtis to join the camp of pioneers to find a home for the saints somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. I had one yoke of oxen and a wagon. Lyman had one horse. We took bread stuff to last us eighteen months. Some beans, a little pork, but we had no groceries for we were not able to get them. My clothing was old and scarce. And in this condition we started to go, where, we could not tell or what we should have to contend with. We only knew that we must go and the Lord would attend to the bringing out the result."

Mormon Battalion, at Los Angeles, California:
Captain Daniel C. Davis announced to Company D that he had made some arrangements for some leather and wanted to know who wished to get shoes. At 4 p.m., drilling started again. In the evening a meeting was held. The speakers included, George P. Dykes and Cyrus C. Canfield.

Company B, Mormon Battalion, at San Diego, California:
Robert S. Bliss visted the harbor. He caught a "fine mess of fish" and oysters. He saw a ship sail into the harbor. Azariah Smith wrote: "Today I and Father went down to the coast and ran races, jumped and sung songs for the first tie since we left Nauvoo."

Sources:

• Watson, Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 533
• Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 3:144
• Kelly, ed., Journals of John D. Lee, 1846-1847 and 1859, 140
• Brooks, On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout, 1:244
• Levi Jackman Autobiography, typescript, BYU-S, p.26
• Journal of Henry Standage in Frank Alfred Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 215
• The Journal of Robert S. Bliss, Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:90
• Bigler, The Gold Discovery Journal of Azariah Smith, 81

Source: 150 Years Ago Today ©These materials have been created by David R. Crockett. Copies of these materials may be reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit must be given to David R. Crockett. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of Mr. Crockett, Tucson Az, crockett@goodnet.com.