Historical Pioneer Journals

Brigham Young Journals

April 1847

April 4, 1847 -- Location: Winter Quarters - 1014 miles left, Nebraska Captain Fremont's topographical map, letters, dancing, medicine preparations, and disorderlyness.
April 5, 1847 -- First wagons leave, and concern about legal suits.
April 6, 1847 -- Sustained as official leader of the church.
April 9, 1847 -- Headed to the wagons who'd gone ahead.
April 12, 1847 -- Bulloch assigned to be the camp's journal keeper.
April 14, 1847 -- Returned the final time to the pioneer wagon camp.
April 15, 1847 -- Laid out instuctions on how the camp should be conducted.
April 16, 1847 -- Organizing into companies with captains.
April 17, 1847 -- Getting consensus on leadership and warning to be careful.
April 19, 1847 -- Daily routine.
April 20, 1847 -- Caught a mess of fish.
April 21, 1847 -- Guarding against livestock theft.
April 22, 1847 -- Reports of disgruntled Indians.
April 23, 1847 -- Corn field, quicksand and a burned out Pawnee town.
April 24, 1847 -- Difficulties fording a river with quicksand.
April 25, 1847 -- Sunday
April 26, 1847 -- Scare in the night.
April 27, 1847 -- Rainy, hot, and windy weather.
April 28, 1847 -- Dust and antelope.
April 30, 1847 -- Cold and little grass.

May 1847

June 1847

June 1, 1847 -- Mormon Batallion deaths reported.
June 2, 1847 -- Sioux Indians.
June 3, 1847 -- Mormon Batallion will get counsel.
June 4, 1847 -- Ferry to Fort Laramie, compliments on group behavior, doctoring, and new family joins company.
June 5, 1847 -- Thunder, lightning, and rain.
June 6, 1847 -- Non-mormon groups pass by, and it's raining.
June 8, 1847 -- Mention of Salt Lake and Utah countryside.
June 9, 1847 -- Race for a boat.
June 10, 1847 -- Trees, fish, and coal.
June 11, 1847 -- Missouri emigrants.
June 12, 1847 --
June 14, 1847 -- Ferrying the North Platte.
June 16, 1847 -- Planning ahead for future companies.
June 17, 1847 -- Earning money.
June 18, 1847 -- Ferrying for a profit.
June 19, 1847 -- Some left behind.
June 20, 1847 -- Greasewood Creek.
June 21, 1847 -- Devil's Gate.
June 27, 1847 -- Newspapers and unfavorable description of Salt Lake valley.
June 28, 1847 -- Jim Bridger and another unfavorable report about the Salt Lake valley.
June 30, 1847 -- Brannan talks up California.

July 1847

July 3, 1847 -- Fever, fishing, rain, wind, thunder, and lightning.
July 4, 1847 -- Meeting up with some of the Mormon Battalion.
July 7, 1847 -- New clothes and a letter.
July 12, 1847 -- Brigham takes ill.
July 13, 1847 -- Orson Pratt group to go ahead.
July 15, 1847 -- Brigham joins up with main camp.
July 18, 1847 -- Planning ahead for planting crops.
July 20, 1847 -- Locations of the 3 groups.
July 21, 1847 -- Advance camp scouts to Salt Lake valley.
July 22, 1847 -- Advance and main company arrive.
July 23, 1847 -- Main company begins to till and plant. Brigham catches first glimpse of the valley.
July 24, 1847 -- Entered the valley to crops being put into the ground.
July 25, 1847 -- Assessment of saftey record.
July 26, 1847 -- Planting, warm springs, Ensign Peak, and saline waters.
July 28, 1847 -- Exploring the valley, setting up the city landscape.
July 29, 1847 -- Some Mormon Battalion members arrive in the valley.
July 30, 1847 -- Rejoicing for the safe arrival of some of the Batalliion.
July 31, 1847 -- Summary of crops put in.