Heritage Gateways

Pioneer Date Summary

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04/02/1847 - Crockett

Date: April 2, 1847

Winter Quarters, Nebraska:
Signs of spring continued to be seen at Winter Quarters. The Missouri river had risen two feet from continued thawing upriver. The cottonwood trees were budding and grass started to spring from the ground. The men in the city were busy moving houses into a stockade line.

A meeting was held at the Winter Quarters stand to divide the city into lots for planting. Bids were accepted to fence in these lots.

Brigham Young met with the Twelve, Bishop Newel K. Whitney and Bishop George Miller. Bishop Miller expressed his views that the Saints should emigrate to Texas instead of the Great Basin. He wanted to head south to make a treaty with Mexico and have them give give the Church land. President Young wrote: "I informed Bishop Miller that his views were wild and visionary, that when we moved hence it would be to the Great Basin, where the Saints would soon form a nucleus of strength and power sufficient to cope with mobs." Hosea Stout recorded: "A very few words from different ones on the subject caused him [Miller] to confess the impractibility of his plans."

John D. Lee spent the day working to have wheat and corn ground at the mill for the pioneer company. Brother McGee Harris generously donated eighteen pounds of bacon and ten bushels of corn for the pioneer company.

Between Keg Creek and Council Bluffs, Iowa:
Mary Richard continued her journey with the Duel family. They crossed Keg Creek where they found quite a few Saints settled and then continued on for sixteen miles. They spent the night camped by a "Widow Smith's" house, where there was a large settlement of the Saints. Mary Richards wrote: "I went and kneeled down under [a tree] poured out my soul in prayer to Heavenly Father that he would protect and preserve me and my dear Samuel [away on a mission to England] from every danger and permit us to live long upon the earth and do much good in our day and generation, and be blessed with all things that our hearts should desire in righteousness."

Mormon Battalion, at Los Angeles, California:
The battalion drilled again. Henry Standage took time to wash his clothes. An Indian was sent to San Luis Rey Mission instructing the men of the battalion stationed there to go to Los Angeles.

Company B, Mormon Battalion, at San Diego, California:
News was received that General Zachary Taylor had found a great battle at Buena Vista against Santa Anna. It was reported that Taylor had scaled the walls of the enemy with 4,000 against their 10,000, and fought to victory. It was reported the the Mexicans lost 1,400 and that Taylor lost 500.