Part 5 (2/2)
Afterwards we were marched in platoons, and, an object being placed, we discharged our pieces in order to try them. We were drilled about half a day, and then returned to the camp.
”My first attempt at was.h.i.+ng my clothes took place at Salt River. My s.h.i.+rts being extremely dirty, I put them into a kettle of water and boiled them for about two hours, having observed that women who washed boiled their clothes, and I supposed by so doing they boiled out the dirt; I then took them and washed them, endeavoring to imitate a woman was.h.i.+ng as near as I could. I rubbed the clothes with my knuckles instead of the palm of my hand, and rubbed the skin off so that my hands were very sore for several days. My attempts were vain in trying to get the dirt out of the clothes. I wondered at this considerably, and scolded and fretted because I could not get the dirt out, and finally gave it up, and wrung them and hung them out to dry. Having no flat-irons to iron them, I took them to Sisters Hollbrook and Ripley to get them ironed. When they saw them they said I had not washed my clothes. I told them I had done my best, and although I had boiled them two hours before was.h.i.+ng, and had washed them so faithfully that I had taken the skin off my knuckles, still I had not been successful in getting the dirt out. They laughed heartily, and informed me that by boiling before was.h.i.+ng I had boiled the dirt into them.
”On the 12th we again resumed our march; many of the inhabitants went with us several miles; they seemed to have much respect for us. We traveled about fourteen miles and camped on a large prairie.
”We tarried in the middle of this prairie, which was about twenty-eight miles across, on account of a rupture which took place in the camp. Here F. G. Williams and Roger Orton received a very severe chastis.e.m.e.nt from Brother Joseph for not obeying orders. In this place further regulations were made in regard to the organization of the camp.
”A day or two after this, Bishop Partridge met us, direct from Clay County, as we were camping on the bank of the Wacondah River, in the woods. We received much information from Brother Partridge concerning the hostile feelings and prejudices that existed against us in all quarters of Missouri. It gave us great satisfaction to receive intelligence from him, as we were in peril and threatened all the time. I will here mention one circ.u.mstance that transpired during our stay at this place, which was that of Brother Lyman Wight baptizing Dean Gould, as he was not previously a member of the Church, yet had accompanied us all the way from Kirtland.
”We pursued our journey, following the bank of the river, for several miles. As we left the river and came into a very beautiful prairie, Brother William Smith killed a very large deer, which made us some very nouris.h.i.+ng soup, and added to our comfort considerably.
”On Wednesday, the 18th, at night, we camped one mile from the town of Richmond, Ray County. On Thursday, the 19th, we arose as soon as it was light and pa.s.sed through the town before the inhabitants were up.
As Luke Johnson and others were pa.s.sing through before the teams came along, Brother Luke observed a black woman in a gentleman's garden near the road. She beckoned to him and said, 'come here ma.s.sa.' She was evidently much agitated in her feelings. He went up to the fence and she said to him, 'there is a company of men lying in wait here who are calculating to kill you this morning as you pa.s.s through.' This was nothing new to us as we had been continually threatened through the whole journey, and death and destruction seemed to await us daily.
This day we only traveled about fifteen miles. One wagon broke down and the wheels ran off from another, and there seemed to be many things to hinder our progress, although we strove with all diligence to speed our way forward. Our intentions were when we started to go through to Clay County that day; but all in vain.
”This night we camped on an elevated piece of land between two branches of the Fis.h.i.+ng River. Just as we halted and were making preparations for the night, five men rode into the camp and told us we should see h.e.l.l before morning, and such horrible oaths as came from their lips I never heard before. They told us that sixty men were coming from Richmond, who had sworn to destroy us, also seventy more were coming from Clay County, to a.s.sist in our destruction. These men were black with pa.s.sion, and armed with guns, and the whole country was in a rage against us, and nothing but the power of G.o.d could save us. All this time the weather was pleasant. Soon after these men left us we discovered a small black cloud rising in the west, and not more than twenty minutes pa.s.sed away before it began to rain and hail; but we had very little hail in our camp. All around us the hail was heavy; some of the hailstones, or rather lumps of ice, were as large as hens'
eggs. The thunder rolled with awful majesty, and the red lightnings flashed through the horizon, making it so light that I could see to pick up a pin almost any time through the night. The earth quaked and trembled, and there being no cessation it seemed as though the Almighty had issued forth his mandate of vengeance. The wind was so terrible that many of our tents were blown down. We were not able to hold them up; but there being an old meeting house close at hand, many of us fled there to secure ourselves from the storm. Many trees were blown down, and others were twisted and wrung like a withe. The mob came to the river two miles from us, but the river had risen to that height that they were obliged to stop without crossing over. The hail fell so heavily upon them that it beat holes in their hats, and in some instances even broke the stocks off their guns; their horses, being frightened, fled, leaving the riders on the ground. Their powder was wet, and it was evident that the Almighty fought in our defense.
This night the river raised forty feet.
”In the morning I went to the river in company with Brother Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young and others, as we had it in contemplation to proceed that morning to Liberty, Clay County; but we could not continue our journey as there was no way to cross the river.
It was then overflowing its banks; and I have seen the river since and proved that it was fully forty feet from the top of its banks to the bottom. Previous to this rain falling, it was no more than ankle deep.
Such a time never was known by us before; still we felt calm all night, and the Lord was with us. The water was ankle deep to us all night, even on that eminence, so we could not sleep.
”At this place W. W. Phelps, S. W. Denton, John Corrill and many others from Liberty joined us; from whom we received much information from the brethren who had been driven from Jackson County, and learned of the fixed determination of our enemies to drive or exterminate them from that county.
”The next day, when we moved into the country we saw that the hail had destroyed the crops, and we saw that it had come in some directions within a mile and in other directions within a half mile of our camp.
After pa.s.sing a short distance the ground was literally covered with branches of the trees which had been cut off by the hail. We went a distance of five miles on the prairie to get food for our horses and also to get some provisions for ourselves, and to get into some secure place where we could defend ourselves from the rage of the enemy. We stayed there three or four days, until the rage of the people was somewhat allayed.
”On the 21st Colonel Sconce and two other leading men from Ray County came to see us, desiring to know what our intentions were, 'for,' said he, 'I see that there is an almighty power that protects this people, for I started from Richmond, Ray County, with a company of armed men, having a fixed determination to destroy you, but was kept back by the storm and was not able to reach you.' When he came into camp he was seized with such a trembling that he was obliged to sit down in order to compose himself. When he desired to know what our intentions were, Brother Joseph arose and began to speak; and the power of G.o.d rested upon him. He gave a relation of the sufferings of our people in Jackson County, and also many of our persecutions and what we had suffered from our enemies for our religion; and that we had come one thousand miles to a.s.sist our brethren, to bring them clothing, and to reinstate them upon their own lands; that we had no intentions to molest or injure any people, but only to administer to the wants of our afflicted brethren; and that the evil reports which were circulated about us were false, and were circulated by our enemies to get us destroyed.
”After he had finished speaking, the power of which melted them into compa.s.sion, they arose and offered him their hands, and said they would use their influence to allay the excitement which everywhere prevailed against us. They accordingly went forth and rode day and night to pacify the people. They wept because they saw we were an afflicted people, and that our intentions were pure.
”The next day the sheriff of that county, named Neil Gilliam, came to deliver a short address to us. We formed into companies and marched into a grove a little distance from the camp, and there formed ourselves into a circle, and sat down upon the ground. Previous to Mr.
Gilliam's address he (Gilliam) said, I have heard much concerning Joseph Smith, and I have been informed that he is in your camp; if he is here I would like to see him.' Brother Joseph arose and said 'I am the man.' This was the first time he was made known during the journey of one thousand miles. Mr. Gilliam then arose and gave us some instructions concerning the manners and customs of the people, their disposition, etc., and what course we should take in order to gain their favor and protection.
”On the Sabbath day while we were in this place, being in want of salt, I took it upon me to go to some of the inhabitants and get some.
Brother Cyrus Smalling took his rifle and went along with me. After pa.s.sing through a path enclosed by hazel bushes, about two miles from the camp, I discovered a deer a little distance ahead of us standing across the path. I made motions to Brother Smalling, and he, drawing up his rifle over my shoulder, which served for a rest, fired and hit the deer just behind the shoulder. It ran a few rods and fell. We cut a pole and fastening the deer on it, got it on our shoulders and carried it along to camp, when we dressed it and divided it among the different companies, and had an excellent feast.
”Here Brothers Ezra Thayer and Thomas Hayes were taken sick with the cholera. We left them there, and also brother Joseph Hanc.o.c.k, who had been taken with the cholera during the storm, and who was the first person attacked with it. Brother Joseph called the camp together, and told us that in consequence of the disobedience of some who had not been willing to listen to his words, but had been rebellious, G.o.d had decreed that sickness should come upon us, and we should die like sheep with the rot; and said he, 'I am sorry, but I cannot help it.'
When he spake these things it pierced me like a dart, having a testimony that so it would be.”
CHAPTER IX.
THE FIs.h.i.+NG RIVER REVELATION--WHY ZION WAS NOT REDEEMED--THE CHOLERA IN CAMP--THE TEST OF FAITH COMPLETE--THE SHADOW OF A COMING EVENT.
Here, while the Camp rested on Fis.h.i.+ng River, the Lord made further known His will concerning the redemption of Zion. The revelation was given on the 22nd of June, the same day that the Prophet repeated his warning in relation to the coming scourge. The points most pertinent to our narrative are here given:
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