Part 5 (1/2)
Some of the brethren had considerable, and others had little or none, yet all became equal. While here one of my horses received a kick from another horse, which obliged me to trade away my span, and get another span of older horses, from Jonathan Taylor. We then proceeded on our journey twelve miles to the Chippeway River. Here we pitched our tents under a fine grove.
”The next day we were divided into companies of twelve each, and captains were appointed over each company. I organized my company in the following manner, appointing two to attend to cooking, two to see that fires were made, two to prepare the tent at night and likewise the bedding, and also to strike the tent each morning, two to fetch and provide water, one to do the running, two to attend the horses, see that the wagon was greased and everything prepared for starting.
My business was to see that the company was provided for, and that all things were done in order. Our living generally was very good, being able to buy bread from the bakers or inhabitants on the way through the settled part of the country. After this we purchased flour and had to bake our own bread. We sometimes had to live on Johnny cake and corn dodger, and sometimes our living was scant. Every night before we went to bed we united in our tent and offered up our prayers before the Lord for protection. This was done by all the companies, at the sound of a trumpet; and at the sound of a trumpet in the morning, every man was upon his knees, each one being called upon in his turn to be mouth in prayer. The same order was attended to in each tent.
There were general officers appointed over the company, viz: Joseph Smith, commander; Dr. F. G. Williams, quartermaster and historian of the camp; Zerubbabel Snow and Nathan Tanner, commissaries of subsistence; Sylvester Smith, adjutant; and Roger Orton, captain of the guard.
”On the 8th we started on our journey, and on Sat.u.r.day the 10th we pa.s.sed through Mansfield, and camped for the Sabbath in Richfield. On Sunday the 11th Brother Sylvester Smith preached and the sacrament of bread and wine was administered to the company. On Monday the 12th we crossed over the Sandusky plains, and through the Indian settlements.
We then pa.s.sed through a long range of beech woods where the roads were very bad. In many instances we had to fasten ropes to the wagons to haul them out of the sloughs and mud holes by hand. While pa.s.sing through the woods the brethren scattered on each side of the road and went to hunting for wild game. We came to Belle Fontaine, where we first discovered refractory feelings in Sylvester Smith.
”We pa.s.sed through a very pleasant country to Dayton, Ohio, where we crossed the Miami river, which is a very beautiful stream; the water being only about two and a half feet deep, most of the brethren waded it. We arrived at this place on Friday the 16th. The brethren were in good spirits, and the Lord was with us. On Sat.u.r.day the 17th we pa.s.sed into Indiana, just over the line betwixt the States of Ohio and Indiana, where we camped for the Sabbath, having traveled forty miles that day; our feet were very sore and blistered, and our stockings were wet with blood, the weather being very warm. I walked most of the journey, letting the lame and footsore ride in my stead. I frequently invited the Prophet to ride, seeing him lame and footsore. On such occasions he would bless me and my team with a hearty good will. My team performed the journey very well.
”During the night a spy from the enemy attempted to get into our camp, but was stopped by the guard. We had our sentinels or guards appointed every night, on account of spies continually harra.s.sing us. This evening there was quite a difficulty between some of the brethren and Sylvester Smith, on occasion of which Brother Joseph was called to decide the matter. Finding quite a rebellious spirit in Sylvester Smith, and to some extent in others, he said they would meet with misfortunes, difficulties and hindrances, 'and you will know it before you leave this place;' exhorting them to humble themselves before the Lord, and become united, that they might not be scourged. A very singular occurrence took place that night and the next day, concerning our teams. On the following morning when we arose we found almost every horse in the camp so badly foundered that we could scarcely lead them a few rods to the water. The brethren then deeply realized the effects of discord. When Brother Joseph learned the fact he exclaimed to the brethren that for a witness that G.o.d overruled and had His eye upon them, that all those who would humble themselves before the Lord should know that the hand of G.o.d was in this misfortune, and their horses should be restored to health immediately; and by twelve o'clock the same day the horses were as nimble as ever, with the exception of one of Sylvester Smith's which soon afterwards died.
”May 21st we pa.s.sed through Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana, where we crossed White River. The teams forded the river, and most of the brethren crossed over the new bridge which was unfinished. We had been threatened by our enemies that we should not go through the town, but we pa.s.sed through unmolested. Everything appeared to be in perfect silence as we went through, although the people looked aghast as if fear had come upon them. At night we camped on an open spot, the top of an eminence. Here we lost one horse.
”On Sunday, the 25th, we arrived at the edge of Illinois; we had no meeting, but attended to was.h.i.+ng and baking to prepare for our journey. On the 26th we resumed our march. At night we were alarmed by the continual threatening of our enemies. I would here remark that notwithstanding so many threats were thrown out against us, we did not fear, nor hesitate to proceed on our journey, for G.o.d was with us, and angels went before us, and we had no fear of either men or devils.
This we know because they (the angels) were seen. On Tuesday we came to the Okaw, a fork of the Kaskaskia River, where we found two canoes; we lashed them together and they served as a kind of ferry boat. We took our baggage out of our wagons, put it on board and ferried it across; then took our wagons and horses, and swam them across, and when they got to the opposite sh.o.r.e the brethren fastened ropes into the tongues of the wagons and helped the horses and wagons out of the river. Others felled trees and laid them across the river, and thus helped themselves over. In this way we all crossed in safety.
Wednesday, the 28th, we reached the towns.h.i.+p of Decatur, where we lost another horse. Sat.u.r.day the 31st, at night, we camped one mile from Jacksonville and prepared for the Sabbath.
”On Sunday, June 1st, we had preaching all day, and many of the inhabitants of the town came out to hear. Brother John S. Carter preached in the morning. By this time the inhabitants began to flock down in companies to hear the preaching, as they understood we were professors of religion and had a meeting in the morning. Brother Joseph then proposed that some of the brethren should set forth different portions of the Gospel in their discourses. He called upon Brother Joseph Young to preach upon the principles of free salvation.
He then called upon Brother Brigham Young to speak, who set forth baptism as essential to salvation. He was followed by Brother Orson Hyde, who proved by the scriptures that baptism was for the remission of sins. Lyman E. Johnson spoke at some length upon the necessity of men being upright in their walk, and keeping the Sabbath day holy.
Brother Orson Pratt delivered an excellent discourse on the principles of the final restoration of all things. The services of the day were concluded by a powerful exhortation from Eleazer Miller. His voice was said to be heard a mile and a half. I would here remark concerning Brother Eleazer Miller, who was one of the first that brought the Gospel to us at Mendon, New York: when he used to retire to a little grove near my house for secret prayer, he would get so filled with the Spirit and the power of the Holy Ghost that he would burst out in a loud voice so that he was heard by the surrounding inhabitants for more than a mile. After the services were over, many strangers were in our camp making remarks upon the preaching which they had heard. They said that Brother Joseph Young, by his preaching, they should judge was a Methodist. They thought Brother Brigham Young was a close communion Baptist. Brother Orson Hyde they supposed was a Campbellite or reformed Baptist. Brother Lyman E. Johnson they supposed was a Presbyterian, and Brother Orson Pratt a Restorationer. They enquired if we all belonged to one denomination. The answer was, we _were_ some of us Baptists, some Methodists, some Presbyterians, some Cambellites, some Restorationers, etc.
”On Monday morning when we pa.s.sed through Jacksonville, they undertook to count us; and I heard one man say, who stood in the door of a cabinet shop, that he had counted a little rising of five hundred, but he could not tell how many there were. This thing was attempted many times in villages and towns as we pa.s.sed through, but the people were never able to ascertain our number.
”While traveling in Indiana some spies came into our camp. While we were eating dinner on the 21st of May, three gentlemen came riding up on very fine looking horses and commenced their enquiries of various ones concerning our traveling in so large a body, asking where we were from, and where we were going. The reply was as usual, some from Maine, some from New York, some from Ma.s.sachusetts, some from Ohio, and some replied, we are from the east, and as soon as we have done eating we shall be going to the west again. They then addressed themselves to Dr. Williams, to see if they could find out who the leader of the camp was. The doctor replied, we have no one in particular. They asked if we had not a general to take lead of the company. The reply was, no one in particular. But, said they, is there not some one among you whom you call your captain, or leader, or superior to the rest? He answered, sometimes one, and sometimes another, takes charge of the company so as to not throw the burden upon any one in particular. These same spies, who had come from the west, pa.s.sed us that same day, and the next.
”On Monday, June 2nd, we crossed the Illinois River. The enemy had threatened that we should not pa.s.s over, but we were ferried across without any difficulty. Here we were counted by the ferryman and he declared we were five hundred in number, although there were only about one hundred and fifty of us. Our company had increased since we started from Kirtland in consequence of many having volunteered and joined us from the different branches of the Church through which we had pa.s.sed on our journey. We camped on the west bank of the river until the next day.
”On Tuesday, the 3d, several of us went up with the Prophet to the top of a mound on the bank of the Illinois River, which was several hundred feet above the river, and from the summit we had a pleasant view of the surrounding country. We could overlook the tops of the trees and the meadow or prairie on each side the river as far as our eyes could extend, which was one of the most pleasant scenes I ever beheld. On the top of this mound there was the appearance of three altars, which had been built of stone, one above the other, according to the ancient order; and the ground was strewn with human bones. This caused in us very peculiar feelings, to see the bones of our fellow creatures scattered in this manner,--fellow creatures who had been slain in ages past. We felt prompted to dig down into the mound, and sending for a shovel and hoe, we proceeded to move away the earth. At about one foot in depth we discovered the skeleton of a man, almost entire; and between two of his ribs we found an Indian arrow, which had evidently been the cause of his death. We took the leg and thigh bones and carried them to Clay County. All four appeared sound.
Brother Brigham Young has yet the arrow in his possession. It was a common thing to find bones thus bleaching upon the earth in that country.
”The same day we pursued our journey. While on our way we felt anxious to know who the person was who had been killed by that arrow. It was made known to Joseph that he had been an officer who fell in battle, in the last destruction among the Lamanites, and his name was Zelph.
This caused us to rejoice much, to think that G.o.d was so mindful of us as to show these things to His servant. Brother Joseph had enquired of the Lord and it was made known to him in a vision.
”While we were refres.h.i.+ng ourselves and teams, about the middle of the day, Brother Joseph got up in a wagon and said he would deliver a prophecy. After giving the brethren much good advice, he exhorted them to faithfulness and humility, and said the Lord had told him that there would be a scourge come upon the camp in consequence of the fractious and unruly spirits that appeared among them, and they would die like sheep with the rot; still if they would repent and humble themselves before the Lord, the scourge in a great measure might be turned away; 'but, as the Lord lives, this camp will suffer for giving way to their unruly temper;' which afterwards actually did take place to the sorrow of the brethren.
”The same day when we had got within one mile of the Snye, we came to a very beautiful little town called Atlas. Here we found honey, for the first time on our journey, that we could buy. We purchased about two-thirds of a barrel. We went down to the Snye and crossed over that night in a ferry boat and camped for the night on the west bank. There was a great excitement in the country through which we had pa.s.sed, and also ahead of us; the mob threatened to stop us; guns were fired in almost every direction through the night.
”We pursued our journey on the 4th and camped on the bank of the Mississippi River. Here we were somewhat afflicted, and the enemy threatened much that we should not cross over the river out of Illinois into Missouri. It took us two days to cross the river, as we had but one ferry boat, and the river was one mile and a half wide.
While some were crossing others spent their time in hunting, fis.h.i.+ng, etc. When we had all got over we camped about one mile from the little town of Louisiana, in a beautiful oak grove, immediately on the bank of the river.
”At this place there were some feelings of hostility again manifested by Sylvester Smith, in consequence of a dog growling at him while he was marching his company up to the camp, he being the last that came over the river. The next morning Brother Joseph said that he would descend to the spirit that was manifested by some of the brethren to show them the folly of their wickedness. He rose up and commenced by saying, 'If any man insults me, or abuses me, I will stand in my own defence at the expense of my life; and if a dog growl at me, I will let him know that I am his master.' At this moment Sylvester Smith, who had just returned from where he had turned out his horses to feed, came up, and hearing Brother Joseph make those remarks said, 'If that dog bites me I'll kill him.' Brother Joseph turned to Sylvester and said, 'If you kill that dog I'll whip you;' and then went on to show the brethren how wicked and unchristian-like such conduct appeared before the eyes of truth and justice.
”On Friday, the 6th, we resumed our journey. On Sat.u.r.day night we camped among our brethren at Salt River, in the Allred settlement, in a piece of woods by a beautiful spring of water, and prepared for the Sabbath. On the Sabbath we had preaching. We remained here several days, was.h.i.+ng our clothes and preparing to resume our journey. Here we were joined by Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight, with another company. The camp now numbered two hundred and five men, all armed and equipped. It was delightful to see the company, for they were all young men, with one or two exceptions, and all in good spirits.
”We were now reorganized in the following order: Joseph Smith was acknowledged commander-in-chief; Lyman Wight was chosen general of the camp; then Brother Joseph chose twenty men for his life guard, I being one of them; Brother George A. Smith was Brother Joseph's armor-bearer; Hyrum Smith was chosen captain of the life guard; the remainder of the camp was organized into companies as before stated.
We had twenty-five wagons, two horses on each, and on some three. One day while we remained here our general marched us out on a large prairie. He then proceeded to inspect us, examine our firelocks, etc.