Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-12-23
FROM the tNebraska) Rock Bottom.
THE GRAVES OF THE PILGRIMS

Upon Il beautiful eminence which may be gained
by an easy and gradual assent, IA half Il mile be-
hind our pleasant town site, rests the the last re-
mains of twenty score of exiled Mormons. Ex-
PEELED from comfortable homes in the ~mid-winter
of '4G, by lawiess persecution and mob violence,
they gathered around them their scantv, halEfur-
nishcd necessaries for a tedious and long journey
across an unknown and uncivilized country-in-
habitcd only by rowing, lawless and savage bands
of Indians, to seek 4 home among the valleys of
wild and almost unknown mountains of rocks.
Like the Pilgrims of old, wasted in strength and
earthly gear, their scnsitives mind chose a death
of starvation or by the torch and knife Of the say
age rather than dwell in turmoil and strife, or
longer bear the tyrrannOus and lawless aggressiuns
of their neighbors. Their beautiful home, the
charming and much admired City of Maui
VOC, reared and built mid scenes Of hunger
and poverty, yes, their temple and their Idols, ali
was deserted to their enemies, and though the
winter SHOWS, whose pure surface was often stained
with crimson life blood of the determined band,
they passed through the untrodden wilds of west
ern Iowa, and in autumn reached the Missouri
river, though many worn out with fatigue and
trouble had fallen by the way and were only
known in the sorrowing hearts of their bretheren,
relatives and friends. Too late, and destitute of
provisions to proceed onward, they cast about to
find a resting place for the winter, when this
charming spot attracted their attention, and here
they rested. Seven thousand souls tired and worm,
here reared a town, yes. an extensive city with
StIccls, ulIeys, hluuIcS' puDHC SIOuuue, puDlC
buildings, school houses and churches, and here
they vainly hope to pass the dreary winter in
peace and domestic happiness, but alas, this even,
the angry fates denied them. Being forced to live
without vegetables and fruit, and even pinched
for want of salt and Stale provisions, an awful
and manageable disease was the consequence,
which in a few months carried many hundreds of
its victims to the grave. Away from the world
| and alone, here the father buried his partner or
only child. The mother became %childlcss, and
perhaps n widow. The helpless child or germs
} of budding manor womamanhood, is left upon
! the cold world an orphan. How many tales of
heart rending grief and unavailing wo, could those
! green turfs on the hill side reveal, could they but
! speak, what anguish Of soul have they experienc,
ed. The very grass and heritage, and flowers have
| been moistened and believed with the tears from
. the heart-strings and life's fountains of the be-
reaved. There now they lie in silence with the
g~reensword grown smoothly over the forms of the
the lovely, the loved. and the talented, victims to
the vengeance of their Prosecutors and martyrs
to their religious belief. Early in the spring
l these industrious people being too much worn out
> with toll, sickness, and destitution to proceed on
their tedious journey opened farms and fenced
G larged fields from which they were soon rewarded
with great abundance of grains and and produce
whilst an hundred sturdy pioneers penetrated to
the wild mountain wales and near the great Sal
Lake in the country they named DEsERET. (The
Honey Bee or Bee Hive) some returning, whilst
Others remained to prepare for the wants of the
coming multitudes. In the spring of '4S the
whole cavalcade of wagons and human life moved
from this spot, the greatest portion young, forward
to their new home, whilst others unable for want
of strength returned across the river into Iowa, in
the region of Council Bluffs, there to recruit theil
means for future emigration.
The luxuriant foliage soon o'erspread the fields
gardens and streets of the place so lately identified
with busy life, and forthe first year a large amount
of grain vegetables and vines we're produced, much
of which was gathered by thu Indians or the citi
zens ON the Iowa side but, alas for the deserted
city! the prairie fire swept through and enveloped
it in flames, and laid it low in ashes, and now only
a few slight vestiges remain to mark the spot
The grooves in the earth where their winter vege
tables we're snugly packed may still be seen, ant
{ also the wells that furnished the city with swee
: crystal water. The enclosures Of vast fields MAJ
4 still he traced, where industrious hands had reared
t walls of earth to secure their stores of grain
? Thousands till visit this spot to note tho relics o
a the suffering pioneers who FIRST opened the country
to the notice OF those who have followed and now
2 own the lands. The sepulcres of the faller
r should be Ornamented and preserved as q monu
ment to the indomitable energy of the prosecuted
; Mormons.