The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-24

W6SU JQ6V WOulu UTlQG bDelI 6AilGQ D6J-
pie. Only this they were certain of, that
they were aiming for the Rocky mount
aims, wnere the prophetic eye of
Joseph Smith years before had seen
the Saints become a mighty people.
California and Oregon, which at that
time began to awaken more than common
interest in the civilized world, were
warmly recommended to the Saints by
many influential men in the nation as
being in every respect suitable for such a
community as the MOrmOns to locate in;
but President Young clearly foresaw that
If he brought his people to the Pacific
coast, whittier MissouriaDs and other en-
igrants were vending their way IN large
mum bers, renewed prosecutions and drlV-
ings would undoubtedly fellow in the
near future, as the Saints there necessa-
rily would be brought in contact with
many of their old enemies from Missouri
and elsewhere, while, on the other hand,
If they chose some isolated spot OF cOuu-
try where nobody else desired to locate,
they might perhaps be permitted to live
in peace and prosper. But the question
was, where in the great Rocky mountain
region could they find a suitable tract Of
country. At this time not much more
was known of the country adjacent to the
Great Salt Lake than that which its name
the Great American Desert-impHed,
notwithstanding the fact that few trap
for some years past, aud that number
of Oregon and California emigrants had
passed through, as narrated In the fore
going. 1t should also be remembered
that all these people, hurTying on to the
Pacific coast. considered the regions
around the Great Salt Lake absolutely
worthless and unprOductive, and that no
white people could possibly make living
there from what the soil could produce.
The trappers were apparently all unanl-
nous in their opinion that the country
was unfit for settlement, and had made no
real attempts to raise grain or vegetables
of any kind, so far as is known. Hence
when the Mormon pioneers OF 1917 first
planted their feet in the great basin they
found the country as desOlate and unim-
proved as the famous explorers, DOming-
neZ and EsCalante, did when the first dis
covered Utah lake in 1776.
When the advance companies Of the
Mormon exiles set out from Nauvoo in the
spring of 1916 it was hoped that at least a
part of them that same year would sue
coed in reaching some valley in the Rocky
mountains where the Saints could locate
permanently, but the call of the
government for 500 ''Mormon' volun-
teers to participate in the war with Mex
leo made this impossible, as the young
and able-bOdled men, who should have
gone as explorers and pioneers, enlisted
as United States soldiers. Winter Quar-
tiers, on the west bank of the Missouri
river, about six miles north OF the
present site of Omaha, Neb., was there
fore established. At this place (Which
was nearly 300 miles from NauVoO) and in
the surrounding country, the exiles spent
the dreary winter of 1861, suffering in
many instances extremely from sickness
and want of adequate shelter.
Early in the spring of 1917 preparations
were again made to send out a body or
men to the Rockies for the purpose of
finding a new location for the exiled
Saints. 8 selection OF men was made to
take the hazardous journey, and nearly
all who were called responded cheerfully.
The necessary teams, camp equipage and
provisions were quickly provided from
the scanUy stores on hand, and on the 9TH
of April, 1917, Heber G. KImball moved
six of his teams (which he had equipped
and prepared to form part of the COM
pany) out OF Winter Quarters. After
travelling six miles in q westerly direction
they camped in a convenient place, thus
forming a kind OF nucleus Tor the rest of
the pioneers to gather to- During the
few following days the company was
greatly augmented by other persons JOIN
ing the camp, which soon commenced TO
travel westward slowly. In the evening
of the 18th of April President Brigham
Young and other leading men joined the
camp at point twelve miles west of the
Elkhorn and about forty-seven miles
from Winter Quarters.
The following day Friday, April 16,
fS47) the pioneers were called together
and organized with captains OF hundreds,
fifties, and tens; captain OF the guard
and other officers We're also appointed.
There were 143 men altogether, besides ;
women and 2 children, or 148 souls all
told in the pioneer camp; they had Y
wagons. and their animals consisted OF SO
horses, 80 mules, 66 oxen, 10 cows, IL dogs
and some chickens. The wagons We're
chiefly loaded with grain and farming
implements, and with provisions which
were expected to last them Tor the return
Journey At O'Clock p. m. on that same
day the pioneers as an organized body
made their final start for the Rocky Noun
tains, and alter travelling three miles the
company encamped for the night.
The next day (April 17th) the journey
was resumed, and in the evening the COM
pany was called together and organized in
military order with Brigham Young as
lieutenant general Stephen Markham as
colonel, and John Pack and Shadrach
Roundy as majors The captains OF tens
as previously appointed were to hold sim
liar rank in the military organization.
Thomas Bullock was installed as clerk OF
the camp, and Thomas Tanner ap-
pointed captain OF the cannon.
Being thus fully organized for travelling
and for self defense, this noble band of
pioneers, the founders of Utah, proceeded
Slowly on their journey. Their camp
rules We're somewhat strict, but the men
obeyed orders cheerfully; no swearing or
profanity was allowed, and no Earrings or
contentious to speak of were experienced
on the whole journey. At 8 O'Clock in
the morning the bugle usually sounded
as a signal for every man to arise and at
tend prayers before leaving the wagons.
Then the people would engage in cook
ing, eating. feeding teams, ETC., until
O'Clock, when the train would move at
the sound OF the bugle. When danger
from Indians was apprehended each
teamster kept beside his team with loaded
gun in hand, or within easy reach, while
the extra men observing the same rule re-
garding the weapons, walked by the side