The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-17
1andcart Company, 1856
BY JOSIAH ROBERTSON.


AOOO
ROBERTSON. No. 6
and the nearest source of supplies, if
perchance we should be compelled to
remain here for the winter.
The Wagon Companies.
True to their promise of assistance
and protection. since leaving Florence,
Neb., Hunts and Hodgett's wagon
companies would not pass or leave US,
and according TO General Robert T.
Burton's journal, which will be blend
ed with my narrative from now on to
the close. these two companies were
camped only a mile or two east of ours,
on the North Platte, and to the end.
Before General Burton's advance ex-
press reaches US here, Brother Bleak
diary must come in again. He says:
Friday. October 24-In camp; snow
bound; no travel
Saturday, October 25-The same as
yesterday, but this morning our rations
were again reduced to eight ounces of
-four for adults and four ounces for
children.
Sunday. October 26-In camp"
Deaths at the Red Buttes.
/ must now come in with a paragraph
or two from memory. The weather, at
night particularly, had been very cold
since We stopped here on the evening
OF the 23d, with six to eight and more
deaths every twenty-four hours. The
aged and WORKOUT seemed in an hour
or two to relinquish all their desire for
life, passing away like an infant in
slumber.
RodwelI's Dream.
On the Sunday morning, just quoted,
the sun broke through the clouds at in
tervals, shedding a few rays of warmth
on the uncovered heads of the company
as we stood in the snow, about s or 8
a. m, at our prayer meeting, and inn
mediately after the supplication, Broth
er Rodwell announced that during the
night or early morning he had a very
impressive dream, presaging the future
of our company.
He said: Il dreamed that it was
Tuesday or Wednesday, and about
noontide, as near as l could Judge /
saw a mule, packed with blankets and
cooking utensils, come right in the
middle of our camp. as We are now,
followed by three CalifOrnians, wear
blue soldier overcOats, riding mules or
horses. They stopped and told us of
which we started again on our jour
ney" Closed with a few more words
that he believed we should all see this
dream come true. and we felt then,
and every member in that snowbOund
camp, every word of that vision.
Relief Express From Utah.
Today passed, and the weather
seemed to abate in its severity. Mon
l. tor
day. was the theme of the camp. Tues
day morning came. Prayer meeting
was called with remarks of hope, COM
fort and cheer. One meager bite for
breakfast over. the sun shOne again a
few minutes at a time, as on the Sun
day referred to. and noontide was ap-
preaching, when all of a sudden the
stiffness of the camp was broken by
shout of joy and gladness; the mule
was in camp, the mute messenger Of
relief and life was there, mOtiOnless
and tame as a Shetland pony, sur
rounded by a score of women and aged
men. all IN tears, and several of our
mothers arms around his neck. God
was praised and the heavens were
thanked We saw all this, and we had
been looking for it for three days.
After few minutes of this frantic joy
in rode our rescuers, Joseph A. Young,
Dan jones and Abe Carr. Hand shak-
ing, thanks and praises followed for
some time. and if there was a dry
cheek in that company it wasn't in the
three of the relief express. Imme-
diately a meeting was called, the news
and particulars of the whereabouts of
the relief teams from the valley made
known: a pound of -four per head or
dered to be issued to every adult, and
a Droportionate amount for the chill
dren, and the balance OF the day was
spent in cooking, baking and getting
ready for another start in the morning
to reach some eight or ten of the mule
and horse relief teams, fOrty-five miles
west of US. near the first crossing Of
the Sweetwater and q few miles east
of Devils Gate.
The pessimist and doubtful NAV
think of the dream as they choose, but
I have recorded it as truthfully as 1t
can be narrated. Before leaving here /
have two more entries from the diary
TO record:
Monday. Oct. 27.-In camp at the
Red Buttes.
Tuesday. Oct. 2s.--In camp. Were
met by Joseph A. Young and others"
Recorder Bleak further says: AS
told the brethren from Utah by Cap
tain Martin that fifty-six members of
our company had died up to the time
that we were met here today (since
leaving Florence. Neb., a distance of
$50 miles,"
Snowbound at the Buttes.
We remained here five days and six
nights, and a column of interesting in
cidents and detail could be added as
To 0ur stav here the deDIetion of ouT