Heritage Gateways

Pioneer Date Summary

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03/28/1847 - 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 28, 1847

Winter Quarters, Nebraska:
Hosea Stout recorded, "The weather still, beautiful, clear & warm like summer." The Saints at Winter Quarters met at the stand for a Sabbath service. Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Ezra T. Benson, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith spoke. Elder Smith testified that God would take the Twelve to "the very place for a stake of Zion." Patriarch John Smith was appointed to preside over the Church at Winter Quarters after the Twelve left. President Young prophesied, "You will find when I am gone that rebellious and arbitrary spirits will arise who will usurp authority that was never given to them and lose sight of the council that was given to them and will kick up the devil among the people. When these things take place, remember what was told you."

In the afternoon, a sacrament meeting was held. Brigham Young, Willard Richards, George A. Smith, Amasa M. Lyman, Willard Richards, and W.W. Phelps spoke to the congregation. This was the first time the sacrament was administered to a general assembly in Winter Quarters.

In the evening the Twelve met with the High Council and Bishops. Afterwards, they met together in council.

Mormon Battalion, at Los Angeles, California:
On this Sunday, the battalion listened to the preaching of Private Jeremiah Willey. The dragoons, led by Lt. Stoneman, arrived in from San Diego. They reported that they had to kill four Indians on the way because of "depredations on the Spaniards and taking life." Colonel Cooke recorded: "The Dragoons horses came back with feet so worn as to make the most of the lame and useless. I shall tomorrow commence the introduction of horse shoes in California, at least in this southerly part."

Company B, Mormon Battalion, at San Diego, California:
Robert S. Bliss went to the coast and caught "a fine mess of fish." A ship from Denmark entered the Harbor with a cargo of merchandise. In the evening John J. Warner, of Warner's Ranch, buried his child. Azariah Smith wrote: "Two Indians carried the corps on their heads and a couple [of] young ladies one on either side with a candle burning. In this way the corps was borne to the grave, and after being placed in the grave the Gentlemen and Ladies help cover it by pawing the dirt with their hands."

Society Islands, in the South Pacific:
The schooner, "Providence," with Elder Addison Pratt aboard, waited in the harbor for favorable winds to start the journey from Papeete, Tahiti toward the Sandwich Islands. On the ship were also nine crew members and four other passengers. At 3 p.m., the winds shifted and the ship caught a fine breeze out to sea. After long months of waiting, Elder Pratt finally started his voyage home from his mission.

Sources:

• Watson, Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 533
• Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 3:143-44
• Brooks, On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout, 1:243-44
• Ellsworth, The Journals of Addison Pratt, 324-325
• Journal of Henry Standage in Frank Alfred Golder, The March of the Mormon Battalion, 215
• The Journal of Robert S. Bliss, Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:89
• Journal Extracts of Henry W. Bigler, Utah Historical Quarterly, 5:59
• Bigler, ed., The Gold Discovery
• Journal of Azariah Smith, 81 Cooke, Conquest, 295
• Ricketts, The Mormon Battalion: U.S. Army of the West, 1846-1848, 146

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.