The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-01
Handcart Company, 1856
BY JOSIAH ROBERTSON

BY JOSIAH
Fifty-five years ago today. Sunday,
but it was then Nov 80 1856, the last
or the decimated ranks of Captain Ed
W ard Martins company arrived in this
city, with several families from Hunts
and Hodgett's wagon companies.
We had made camp the night before
at the head of Emigration canyon.
near Father Killian's ranch, ten or
twelve miles east of this city. and be-
tween 10 and II o'clock, 104 wagons
with 351 horses and mules and 30 woke
of oxen. that comprised the entire res
cuing and relief party, were in Main
street. in the tithing yard and around
Presiding Bishop Hunters tithing Of
fee.
/ merely mention this fact now-and
ahead of the completion of nv nara
tive, on account OF the coincidence Of
the memorable Sabbath morning and
the Hooking around the wagons of the
relatives and friends. asking. as nv
father here?" naming so-and-so: or
rs my mother here?" climbing on the
wagon tongues and wheels. To catch a
icok at the inmates, with fear and
doubt as to their being living or dead,
and which will be more fully told later.
falling to find in General Burton's
ana Grants journal the names of the
ileHlDers OF the rescuing party that
left Salt Lake under their command.
Oct I, 1856, and the same lack in other
diaries and journals. without which my
narrative would be incomplete, | inter
viewed Mr.. Benjamin Hampton of
San Lake, one of the few surviving
veterans of the resCuers and one Of the
nineteen men who We're left at Devils
Gate that fearful winter To supply
this blank in the history, he referred
me TO Daniel W. Jones Forty Years
Among the Indians" and herein find
these two lists. with his narration of
nnding our company in the snOwbOund
camp at Red Bluff. or Red Buttes on
the date heretofore mentioned. and
"hlcn L prefer to let him tell i'm his
own words.
President Young's Call.
Il attended the October conference
OF 1856. When conference opened, Pres
ident Young arose and said:
There are a number Of our people
or the plains who have started to come
with hand carts: they will need help.
and l want twenty teams to go out and
meet them. If the teams are not vol
unfairly furnished, there are plenty of
good ones in the street and 1 shall call
upon Brother ]. c. Little, the marshal.
10 furnish them. Now we will adjourn
this conference until tomorrow.
Brother Young was in earnest: he
seemed moved by spirit that would
admit of no delay.
"A few days before this a number of
elders had arrived from the old coun-
try, reporting that the hand cart people
were on the road, but did not know
how far back they were. In those DAYS
there was no telegraph and mails from
The east only reached Utah monthly,
and which were many times delayed by
high water, Indians or other causes.
President Brigham Young called
upon every one present to lend a hand
In fitting up these teams. AS l was
going out with the crowd. Brother
Wells president Daniel H. WeIls)
spoke to me, saying:
" You are a good hand for the trim.
get ready
Soon after Bishop Hunter said the
same thing to me; also Brother Grant
captain George d., met me and said:
i want you on this trip I began to
think it time to decide, so l answered.
All right L had saddle horse
we were instructed to get every
thing we could ready and rendezvous
between the Big and Little mountains.
Next day, teams and volunteer men
were ready. a better outfit and one
more adapted TO the work before us
/ do not think could possibly have been
selected, if a week had been spent in
fitting up.
As soon as we were together. we
organized and moved on. George D.
Grant was selected captain. with Rob
ert 7, Burton and William Kimban
as assistants; Cyrus H. Wheelock,
chaplain, Charles Decker, guide.
was given the important position of
chief cook for the head mess.
Il was quite proud of my office. for it
made me the most sought after and
popular man in the camp. The rest OF
the company was made up of the fol-
lowing persons: Joseph A Young.
Chauncey Webb, H. H. Cuff. D. P.
Kimball, George w. Grant, Ed Peck.
Joel Parrish. Henry Goldsborough.
Thomas Alexander, Benjamin Hamp-
ton, Thomas Kicks, Abe Carr. Charles
Gray Al Hunting tOn-"Handsome Gu
pid," Stephen Taylor. William K.
Broomhead, Ira Nebeker, Reddick ALI
red, Amos Fairbanks and Tom Bank
head, colored man. These are all the
names that ! remember. if there were
more l have been unable to find them.
Captain Jones Story.
The first night latter leaving Dew
IFS Gate going east we camped our
horses followed a band of Buffalo sew
eral miles il was near noon the next
day when we returned with them. We
determined To get even with them. so /
rode at full gallop whenever the road /
would permit.
After riding about twelve miles. we |
saw a white mans shoe track in the /
road. Brother Young called out. Here /
they are! We put our animals to their |
utmost speed and soon came in sight /
of the camp at Red Bluff This was 1
Brother Edward Martins handcart |
company, and Ben HOdgett's wagon /
company. There was still another wa
gon company down near the Platte /
crossing.
This company was in almost as |
bad a condition as the first one will !
he's company. They had nearly Civ /
en- up hope. Their provisions were
about exhausted, and many of them
worn out and sick. When we rode in, /
there was a general rush to shake 1
hands. l took no part in the ceremony. |
Many declared we were angels from 4
heaven l told them / thought we |
were better than angels, for this Occa-