Heritage Gateways

Pioneer Date Summary

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07/14/1847 - Crockett

Date: July 14, 1847

Advance Company in Echo Canyon, Utah:
The advance company traveled through Echo Canyon. Orson Pratt wrote: "Our journey down Red Fork has truly been very interesting and exceedingly picturesque. We have been shut up in a narrow valley from 10 to 20 rods wide, while upon each side the hills rise very abruptly from 800 to 1200 feet, and the most of the distance we have been walled in by vertical and overhanging precipices of red pudding-stone, and also red sand-stone." Levi Jackman added: "The valley was fertile but very narrow and the hills on both sides were several hundred feet high. In many places it was difficult passing. A little before night we struck the Weber Fork and camped. We came about 14 miles today." Their plans were to follow the Weber River in the valley. [This would have taken them to present-day Ogden, Utah.]

Main Camp near Cache Cave, Utah:
Wilford Woodruff and Barnabas Adams traveled back to the rear company to see how the sick were doing.

Thomas Bullock sat in the cool cave all day and caught up on his writing. Many of the other brethren spent the day hunting and killed several antelope.

Wilford Woodruff returned in the evening and brought back news regarding the sick in the rear company. A meeting was called around Willard Richard's wagon. It was decided to hitch up and move the camp a short distance in the morning.

William Clayton wrote about the mountain fever: "There are one or two new cases of sickness in our camp, mostly with fever which is very severe on the first attack, generally rendering its victims delirious for some hours, and then leaving them in a languid, weakly condition. It appears that a good dose of pills or medicine is good to break the fever. The patient then needs some kind of stimulant to brace his nerves and guard him against another attack. I am satisfied that diluted spirits is good in this disease after breaking up the fever."

Rear Company at The Needles, Utah:
Wilford Woodruff and Barnabas Adams visited the rear company of sick brethren. They were pleased to see that Brigham Young was getting better and they ate supper with Heber C. Kimball. Wilford Woodruff planned to bring his carriage from the main camp in the morning for Brigham Young and Albert P. Rockwood to ride in.

Albert P. Rockwood's fever still raged and he was delirious. He later wrote: "Br Lorenz Young and many others look upon me as dangerous ill. I so considered myself and so told the brethren that if no relief came in 24 hours, they might dig a hole to put me in."

Howard Egan, Heber C. Kimball, Ezra T. Benson, and Lorenzo Young climbed to the top of a high mountain and offered prayers for the sick and for their families so far away.

Mormon Ferry, Wyoming:
The ferrymen who remained started to move their things a six miles up there river where the feed was better. An emigrant company arrived and needed some blacksmithing done. All the blacksmith tools were moved up the river and set up for business. Luke Johnson stayed at the ferry site overnight to guard the rest of the things that had not yet been moved up. During the night, he was bothered by wolves that wanted to eat the buffalo meat. Brother Johnson shot one, reloaded and fired again. "Then the gun burst. It burned his face and arm and hand considerably, and slightly wounded his other arm and hand. A piece of the lock or something passed through his hat with great violence, which closely grazed his head."

On the Platte River, Nebraska:
The Jedediah M. Grant company had difficulties and were delayed. During the night their herd broke out of the yard and crushed two wheels on Willard Snow's wagon, killed a cow, broke of some horns, and broke the leg of a horse. They had to spend the day repairing Brother Snow's wagon. The Charles C. Rich company remained behind with them. Abraham Smoot's company passed them during the day.

The pioneers arrived at the location where the first pioneer company camped on May 9, 1847. [This was near present-day Brady, Nebraska]. They found the post, guideboard, and box with a letter and history of the journey up to that point. The guideboard stated that they were 300 miles from Winter Quarters. [This second company of pioneers were traveling about 700 miles behind Brigham Young's company.] The company spotted several herds of buffalo and hunters were successful in killing some for meat. Jedediah M. Grant showed Eliza R. Snow a buffalo skull on which was written, "All well -- feed bad -- we only 300 ms. from W." It was dated May 9th.

Winter Quarters:
Daniel H. Wells, who was baptized into the Church the previous year, arrived in from Nauvoo. Hosea Stout was surprised to see him join the Saints, but he now appeared to be an influential and faithful member of the Chruch. [Daniel H. Wells would later serve as a counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency.]

West of Fort Hall Idaho:
The Kearny detachment of the Mormon Battalion met several companies of Oregon emigrants. These emigrants were certainly among those who came in contact with the pioneers and may have let the Mormon Battalion members know that they met the pioneers on the Oregon Trail in Wyoming.

Company B, Mormon Battalion, marching to Los Angeles:
The company traveled twenty miles and camped at Riota Ranch where there was an excellent spring.

Sources:

• Howard Egan Diary, Pioneering the West, 95-6
• Albert P. Rockwood Journal, typescript, BYU, 62
• Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 3:229-30
• Autobiography of John Brown, 77
• Watson, ed., The Orson Pratt Journals, 446
• Bagley, ed., The Pioneer Camp of the Saints, 225-26
• William Clayton's Journal, 292
• Levi Jackman Autobiography, typescript, BYU-S, p.39
• The Journal of Robert S. Bliss, Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:111
• Appleton Milo Harmon Goes West, 40, 41
• The Journal of Nathaniel V. Jones, Utah Historical Quarterly, 4:21
• Brooks, On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout, 1:266
• Beecher, ed., The Personal Writings of Eliza Roxcy Snow, 184

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.