The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-01
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just DIS We were about to start it COM
menced showing very hard The heav-
ems were obscured by clouds, excepting
a small place about the shape of the
gable end OF a house. This opening was
IN the direction of the valley, and the
sun seemed to shine through with great
! brightness. We mounted our mules,
Brother Carr pointing TO the bright
srOt in the heavens, said. Do you see
that hole? You had better get out of
here before that closes up, for it is your
opening to the valley. We are going.
The people. / believe, took this for q
warning, and soon started for their cat
! tie. Next morning they moved on.
Brother Carr and l went back to where
r. Martins camp had been. They had
rolled out and Captain Hodgett's wa
! gOn company was just starting.
We continued on, Overtaking the
handcart company. ascending q long,
muddy hill. A condition of distress here
met my eyes that / never saw before
or since. The company was strung
| out for three or four miles. There
were old men pulling and Juggling their
carts; sometimes loaded with a sick
wife or children-women pulling along
sick husbands. little children six to
eight years old struggling through the
mud and snow.
AS night came on the mud would
/ freeze on their clothes and feet There
were two of us, and hundreds needing
| help. What could we Go? We gath
cred on to some of the most helpless
with our riatas tied to the carts. and
helped as many as we could into camp
on Avenue hill.
This was a bitter. cold night. and
We had no fuel except very small sage
| brush. Several died that night Next
morning, Brother Young. having come
up we three started for our camp near
Devils Gate. All were rejoiced to get
the news that we had found the emil
grants. The following morning most of
the (relief) company moved down east,
meeting the handcart company at
CROSSWORD creek. Such assistance as
we could give was rendered to all until
they finally arrived at Devils Gate
fort, about the LIST of November There
were some twelve hundred i'm all. about
one-half with handcarts and the other
half with teams
Captain Jones remained here five or
six days. He then says:
That night Cabout Nov 10) we were
called together and organized as
branch. Dan w. Jones. Thomas Alex
ander and Brig. Hampton were chosen
TO preside with J. w. Latey, as clerk
The rest of the company was COM
posed of the following: John Cooper
John Hardcastle, John Shorten, John
Chapel, John Galbraith, John Ellis,
John Whitaker, William Handy. Viii
liam Laty, Edwin Summers, Rossiter
Jenkins, Elisha Manning, Henry Jake
man, George Watt George Watts and
The last name Captain Jones said
he could not remember, and neither
can Mr.. Hampton remember it today.
Captain Grant asked about our pro-
visions. 1 told him they were scant,
but as many were suffering, and some
dying, all we asked was an equal
chance with the rest. He told me
there would be a lot of WORKOUT cat
tie left; to gather them up and try
and save them. They consisted most
ly Of yearlings and 2-year-Old heifers
someone was taking through. The
storm had now ceased to rage, and
great hopes were felt for a successful
move. We were daily expecting more
help, and often wondered why it did
not come. Next day all hands (Of the !
wagon companies, with General Bur
ton and Grant, pulled out, most of
them on foot. After getting my camp
regulated a little and giving some in |
structions, 1 got on my horse and rode |
on 10 see how the train was moving |
along. All were out of sight when I
started.
After Overtal1ing the train and see !
ing them on the move, Captain Grant /
asked me to go back with instructions /
for the brethren left with me; then TO |
come on next day and camp with |
them overnight. On calling the-cOm-
pany together at the fort that night I |
told them in plain words that if there /
was a man in camp who could not help /
eat the last poor animal left with US
hides and all. suffer all manner of pri- !
VatiOnS: almost staTve to DEATH that ne /
could go on with me the next day and /
Overtake the trains No one wanted to |
go All voted to take their chances.
'On taking stock of provisions, we /
found about twenty days rations; no /
salt o. bread excepting a few crack
erS. There was at least five months OF /
winter before Us, and nothing much to |
eat but a few perishing cattle and 4
what game we might chance to kill. /
The game was not very certain, rs the /
storms had driven everything away.
Il followed the train this day to its
second encampment, and the next day |
Travelled with them. There was much
suffering, death occurring often"
Here I leave Captain Jones MARIA
tive as TO his services and connection
with our company. The history Of the
stopping at Devils Gate of those nine
|
winter, with over five months snow,
viii be hereafter written by Brother
John Cooper of Fillmore, Utah. MEM
Der of Captain John A. Hunts wagon
company, and one Of the members that
remained there.
Bleak's and Burton's Journals.
1 finished chapter No. 8 with two
paragraph of Nov. u and 10 from
General Burtons journal, camping the
last night ION the Sweetwater, at the
lower eNd of the sixteen-mile drive"
and again resume Brother Bleak's
diary:
Friday. Nov. 14-Traveled only
about four miles from the Sweetwater
today. Weather getting more pleas
ant; cold abating.
Saturday. Nov. 15.-TTaveled eight
miles today. Weather nice and warm
er. Camped on the Sweetwater again
tonight Here Recorder Bleak says:
4 am p years of age today" A slim
celebration. with eight ounces of flour
for three meals.
Sunday, Nov. 1S.-Distance Travelled
today not given in either journal but
not less than twelve or fourteen miles
was made, and camp made again in a
little cottonwood grove. Our rations
were raised here today to one pound
for ADULTS and half a pound to chill