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Pioneer Date Summary
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04/21/1847 - Crockett
 Description: Line drawing by Dusten, a ninth grader
from Central Davis Junior High.
Image courtesy of: Heritage
Gateway Project Images, These images have been gathered
to support the Sesquicentennial celebration of the immigration
to Utah.
- Location: Genoa, Nebraska - Location: 41:26:55N 97:43:49W
Elevation: 1580 feet
Date: April 21, 1847
On the Platte River, Nebraska:
The weather was cloudy and cooler. The ox wagons started their
journey on the trail at 7:30 a.m. The horse teams left two hours
later. At 8:55 a.m., an Indian appeared on a mound about five
miles ahead, mounted on a pony. He went out of sight and then
came back and approached the pioneers at full speed. He was greeted
warmly and soon seven others approached on foot from some timber
about a mile to the left. They went from wagon to wagon, shaking
hands as the pioneers passed, and said "How de do!" About two
miles later, a wheel on one of Heber C. Kimball's wagons fell
off and some of the wagons halted for fifteen minutes while it
was repaired.
At 10 a.m., they reached a fork in the road. Brigham Young consulted
with James Case, who had worked in this area for the government
during the past summer. The road on the left led to the new Pawnee
Indian Village, the one of the right bypassed the village and
headed up the Loup Fork, toward the Pawnee Mission which had
been sacked by the Sioux in June. They chose to take the road
to the right. At 12:25 p.m., the pioneers came within sight of
the new Pawnee Indian Village, on both sides of the Loup Fork.
It consisted of nearly one hundred lodges made from skins, close
together, in several neat rows.
Peter Sarpy, from Trader's Point, was in the village bartering
for their buffalo robes in a new trading post. Wilford Woodruff
wrote, "We drove on by the villages & they soon began to sally
out to come to us. We camped in a half moon, the bank of the
river forming a parallel line in front. The Indians to the number
of about 200 on the south side of the river came down to the
shore. Some waded over. About 75 came into camp including the
grand Chief of the Nation with many war Chiefs." Levi Jackman
described the Indians: "The Pawnees are much fairer complexioned
than most other Indians. They had their heads shaved with the
exception of a strip about two inches wide from a little back
of their foreheads to the back of their necks and that was about
two inches long and stuck straight up resembling a rooster's
comb. Their dress was a breach clout and a buffalo skin or robe,
a blanket to throw over their shoulders. Some had leggings."
Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball gave them some gifts, but
they were not satisfied. Erastus Snow wrote: "President Young
proposed to shake hands and part in friendship, but he refused,
and appeared very angry. Upon inquiring into the cause of his
passion, he stated, through his interpreter, that the heap (presents)
was too little. . . . He said we would kill and drive away their
buffalo, and that we should go back." The brethren ignored their
threats and continued the journey at 2 p.m., traveling northwest,
up the Loup Fork -- a large stream that empties into the Platte
River. Soon a severe thunderstorm rolled in and the rain fell
in torrents for thirty minutes. After about ten more miles, they
established their next camp on the Loup Fork, north of Looking
Glass Creek. William Clayton wrote: "The country is beautiful
and pleasing to the eye of the traveler, although you can only
see one kind of scenery for several days."
At sundown, the bugle was sounded, calling the men to a meeting.
Stephen Markham organized a huge detail to stand guard during
the night. They were deeply concerned about the Indian threat
and believed that the traders and Missourians were stirring up
the Indians against the pioneers. Fifty men would stay up during
the first half of the night, and fifty would guard the camp during
the early morning hours. The cannon was prepared for action.
Small companies of picket guards were stationed away from the
camp with mules to help them detect any approach by the Indians.
It was a "bitter cold" night. As Wilford Woodruff stood guard,
he rolled himself up in a buffalo skin for protection against
the rain and wind. Erastus Snow recorded: "The Indian fires we
saw all around us and near our camp opposite on the south side
of the Loup Fork, but a few guns and other demonstrations let
them know that we were on hand."
Papillion River, west of Winter Quarters, Nebraska:
Alpheus Cutler, W. W. Phelps, Daniel Spencer, and
Cornelius P. Lott went to the Omaha Indian camp,
on the Papillion River. They first met with Indian
Agent, John Miller and then entered the camp to meet
with Indian Chief Big Elk. Daniel Spencer spoke thirty
minutes, explaining the Saints' grievances. Big Elk admitted that
the young braves were killing the Saints' cattle, but countered
with a complaint that the Saints had destroyed the Omaha's timber. "You
can't raise up our timber, can't raise up our dead men; so, you
are the aggressors." Big Elk complained that the Saints had still
not left his lands. Brother Spencer explained that the government
had taken 500 of their men for the Mormon Battalion. Big Elk responded: "If
your father the great president [Polk] imploy 500 men to fight
his battle let him appropriate your lands. We don't pay his debts." The
Indian Agent, John Miller, was of no help. He told the Omahas that
they were justified, especially if the Mormons did not deliver
corn they had promised. Big Elk stated that the Mormons could stay
on the land if they hauled their corn. He said he would stop his
braves from stealing the cattle.
Winter Quarters, Nebraska:
It was an exciting day for Mary Richards. She delivered several
gifts to her family, sent by her missionary husband, Samuel W.
Richards. Her tent was busy all day as people called to see the
gifts she had received in the trunk from England. She enjoyed reading
Samuel's letters over and over again to her friends and family.
Her sister-in-law Jane, invited her to come to her home, where
recently returned missionary Joseph Cain, was visited. "He stayed
about an hour we had another good talk with him about Samuel and
F[ranklin] and he seemed to take pleasure in talking to us about
them."
Summer Quarters, Nebraska:
At 5:30 a.m., a war party of forty Omaha Indians rushed down upon the camp and
made angry signs that the settlers were tilling their land. They demanded a beef
steer. When the ten brethren refused, three of the Indians were sent to shoot
and butcher a beef. John D. Lee ran into their midst with a long pole and warned
them if they did shoot any cattle, he would kill "every devil of them." When
the chief saw that Brother Lee was serious, he stopped the three men and held
out his hand in friendship. They promised peace and said they were in pursuit
of the Sioux. Brother Lee gave them some bread and gun powder as a token of peace.
Later, after the Indians left, it was discovered that they had killed seven cattle
the day before, and that they were killing cattle daily near Winter Quarters.
Wisconsin:
Reuben Miller wrote a letter to Brigham Young asking for him to support Brother
Miller's personal mission to combat the apostate Strangite movement. "Brother
Young, my object is to do good and be useful in the day and generation in which
I live, magnify my priesthood, and assist to build up the kingdom of God, and
truly as far as in me lies be a servant of the Lord. Therefore I consider it
right to use all honorable means to redeem the Saints from the spiritual darkness
in which the devil has thrown them and bring them back to the true fold and the
principles of immortal glory." Brother Miller asked for direction and reported
that the Strangites were planning a mission to England, to lead away more of
the Saints. Brother Miller (who had for a time followed after James J. Strang
and then returned to the Church) wished to publish a full account of Strang's
secret ceremonies. [When this letter finally reached the Twelve, Willard Richards
wrote a firm reply asking Brother Miller to stop wasting his time and to return
home to the Saints.]
Nauvoo:
Lyman Shurtliff landed at Keokuk and arranged with a member of the Church
to take the goods he had collected to the poor at Garden Grove. Brother Shurtliff
wrote: "While he was preparing, I went to Nauvoo and found two letters from
my folks. They were well and got along better than I expect for which I felt
thankful. Most of the city of Nauvoo was deserted. It was without house or
inhabitant. No home or fence or any improvement marked my home except the cellar
over which one year ago a good brick house stood. This is all that was now
left to mark the place of my labors for six years.
"The little group of young trees at my place still remained in which the grave
of my wife and child was made manifest by a rock which I placed deep in the
earth on end, rising above the surface to mark the place of their remains.
I felt sorrowful to see the destruction of so many years of labor of the persecuted
Saints. Hundreds of buildings were torn down and taken away. With feelings
much better felt than described, I turned from the view for the fourth time
bidding adieu to all things dear and interesting to me in the once beautiful
Nauvoo."
Mormon Battalion, at Los Angeles, California:
Paymaster Jeremiah Cloud returned from Monterey with gold to pay the battalion.
The men were anxious at the thought of finally being paid again.
Sources:
Watson, ed., Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 540
Howard Egan's Diary, Pioneering the West, 26-7
Wilford Woodruff's Journal 3:154-55
Bagley, ed., The Pioneer Camp of the Saints, 126-27
"Excerpts from the hitherto unpublished Journal of Horace K. Whitney," Improvement
Era, 50:204
Appleton Milo Harmon Goes West, 17
Erastus Snow Journal Excerpts, Improvement Era 14:818
William Clayton's Journal, 85-88
Jenson, Day By Day With the Utah Pioneers, 17
Levi Jackman Autobiography, typescript, BYU-S, p.27
Richard Lloyd Anderson, BYU Studies, Vol. 8, No. 3, p.287
Stephen F. Pratt; BYU Studies Vol. 24, No. 3, pg.376
Ward, ed., Winter Quarters, The 1846-1848 Life Writings of Mary Haskin Parker
Richards, 120
Kelly, ed., Journals of John D. Lee, 1846-1847 and 1859, 154-55
Luman Shurtliff Autobiography, typescript, BYU-S, p.73-74
Journal of Henry Standage in Frank Alfred Golder, The March of the Mormon
Battalion, 218
- 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.
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