Heritage Gateways

Pioneer Date Summary

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04/03/1847 - Crockett

Date: April 3, 1847

Winter Quarters, Nebraska:
Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal, "It was a busy day with me preparing to start on the journey. We are now about to start on the pioneer journey to go to the mountains of Israel to find a location as a resting place for the Saints. . . . I have never felt more weight upon my mind at this time while leaving my family to go on a mission than now. My prayer to God is that He will sustain myself & family to meet again on earth as he hath done in the many mansions I have taken on the earth in the vineyard of the Lord."

Horace K. Whitney recorded: "It is the intention to start most of the teams on Monday, who are to go up to the Elk Horn River and then wait till all shall come up." A conference was planned in Winter Quarters for April 6th. Levi Jackson, one of the pioneers, left this day with his team, heading for the Elk Horn River.

John D. Lee distributed flour to pioneers and to wives of battalion members. He then took one of his teams to travel back to Summer Quarters. Rodney Swazey went along with him to bring the team back. After they had passed the fort ruins at Old Council Bluff, they met Isaac Morley and Edwin D. Woolley. They traveled together but had a mishap when they crossed over the bridge on Mudd Creek. His wagon broke through part of the bridge, injuring one of his mules. It took them three hours to free the wagon. By that time, Brother Pace had come up from Winter Quarters on the way to the farm with his family. They all decided to camp for the night by Mudd Creek.

Brigham Young's brother Lorenzo, about this time came to a decision that he could not leave his sick wife Harriet behind, while he went ahead with the pioneers. Lorenzo asked permission to bring Harriet along. President Young strongly objected, but Lorenzo finally decided that he would not go without Harriet. President Young needed his brother to be part of the pioneer company and he eventually gave his permission. Harriet could not be the only sister in the company and after consultation, Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball decided to each take a wife on the journey. Clara Decker Young (Harriet Young's daughter who was also Brigham Young's wife) and Ellen Sanders Kimball would also make the trek. Lorenzo Young would also take his son Lorenzo S. Young and his step-son, Perry Decker (Harriet's son).

Between Keg Creek and Council Bluffs, Iowa:
Mary Richards and her group passed by an Indian burial ground. Mary stopped to take a look. "One grave was covered with logs laid in the form of a small crib. The bones was laid on the out side of the ground. While passing one of the wigwaams an Indian peaked out & called to me and said "say Squaw come in." Mary continued on her journey toward Winter Quarters. They met Reuben W. Allred going to Keg Creek in a carriage, expecting to return to Winter Quarters the next day. Mary agreed to travel with Brother Allred to visit the Bird family and then to return with him to Winter Quarters. She bid good-bye to the Duel family who had been so kind to her, and then went and spent a very pleasant night at the Birds.

Company B, Mormon Battalion, at San Diego, California: Robert Bliss, while thinking about his family who he left at the Missouri River, wrote: "As our time passes away I think of home the More & wish for the time to come when I can once more live with my Family & friends far away."

Louisville, Kentucky:
After spending one week in Louisville collecting donations for Garden Grove, Luman Shurtliff made arrangement to leave for Cincinatti, Ohio. He first obtained letters of introduction from editors of the Louisville newspapers and then boarded a boat in the evening. He was quite sick and could not eat.

Sources:

• Watson, ed., Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 544
• Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 3:145
• "Excerpts from the hitherto unpublished Journal of Horace K. Whitney," Improvement Era, 50:202
• Kelly, ed., Journals of John D. Lee, 1846-1847 and 1859, 142-43
• Levi Jackman Autobiography, typescript, BYU-S, p.26
• Ward, ed., Winter Quarters, The 1846-1848 Life Writings of Mary Haskin Parker Richards, 11
• The Journal of Robert S. Bliss, Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:90
• Luman Shurtliff Autobiography, typescript, BYU-S, p.73