RETURN OF THE PIONEERS TO WINTER QUARTERS, 1847.
In Retrospect.--First Crop of Potatoes Planted.--The Beginning of
Irrigation.--First Sunday.--Explorations South to Utah Lake.--Choice
of Temple Block.--Address by Brigham Young.--Return to Winter
Quarters.--Meet the Second Company of Pioneers.--Encounter with the
Indians.--Reach Winter Quarters, Oct. 31, 1847.--First Presidency
Organized, Dec. 27, 1847.
As the valley presented itself to view before the gaze of this sturdy
band of pioneers, President Young expressed his full satisfaction
with the place. The Lord had shown him the view before in a vision;
and now as he lay upon his bed (still physically indisposed) in Elder
Woodruff's carriage, the Lord also showed him many things concerning
the future of the valley; and with one united testimony, the pioneer
company felt that they had reached their destination. They could now
rest the soles of their feet in peace and be free from fury of angry
mobs.
That was sixty years ago; and in view of the great change which has
been brought about, we are led to exclaim, "What hath God wrought!"
Then, sage-brush plain, with no inhabitants excepting the wandering
Lamanite, not a building, not a fence, not a furrow, the silence of
a barren desert reigned supreme. To-day, a mighty city of 100,000
people stands, with a Temple of the Lord, many houses of worship and of
learning, modern inventions, and all other evidences of civilization.
It is one of the most beautiful cities in all the land, where the weary
traveler and the home-seeker from nearly every land and clime have
found a place of rest. What a debt of gratitude these busy thousands
owe to the pioneers of sixty years ago will not be fully known until
they are quickened by a perfect understanding of man's relationship to
God and man, and the purposes of a Supreme Being.
Orson Pratt, Erastus Snow, and a number of others had entered the
valley two days before and had already plowed by the side of two small
streams nearly five acres of land. After gazing a short time over the
valley, the company moved over the {315} table-land into the valley
about four miles to the encampment of their brethren. Brother Woodruff
had one-half bushel of potatoes, and before eating his dinner, he
planted them in the earth and hoped, by the blessings of the Lord, to
save enough for seed the following year.
There were no idlers in the camp, all were busy as bees. They dammed up
one creek, and before night had spread the water over a large tract and
irrigated the parched ground. This was the beginning of irrigation in
the Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1847. Since then the work of irrigation
has spread abroad in all the arid regions of the West from Nebraska
to California. The various methods of utilizing the water have been
studied and improved. Irrigation has occupied the attention of great
minds assembled in Congresses to discuss the subject, and has been
considered in the legislative halls of the nation; but the pioneers in
this enterprise were the little band of faithful and great men led by
the Prophet Brigham Young to the Valleys of the Mountains.
Of the future, Elder Woodruff records the meditations of their minds
on that occasion thus: "Thoughts of pleasant meditations ran in rapid
succession through our minds in anticipation that not many years hence
the House of God would be established in the mountains and be exalted
above the hills, while the valleys would be converted into orchards,
vineyards, and fields planted with cities, and the Standard of Zion be
unfurled for the gathering of the nations." Such positive utterances
show how deeply convinced were the pioneers that God had led them to
the valley. They knew the future in general, as well as we of to-day
know the past in detail. They said that the Lord had shown it unto
them, and the fulfillment of their predictions proves that He did. It
would indeed be a wilful unbelief on the part of the descendants of
these pioneers to doubt the inspiration which guided President Young
and his associates in the settlement of the Salt Lake Valley.
Toward the evening of the 24th, as if to give hope of future moisture,
the Lord sent a beautiful thunder shower, and it rained for a short
time over the entire valley. President Woodruff says: "We felt thankful
for this, as it was the general opinion that it never rained in the
valley during the summer season." Thus closed the day, the great
Pioneer Day, to be celebrated each {316} year by thousands and indeed
by millions yet unborn.
The following day was Sunday, and the pioneers met for worship at about
10 a. m. The first sermon delivered in the valley was by President
Geo. A. Smith, and Bro. Woodruff writes that, "It was an interesting
discourse."
President Heber C. Kimball and Ezra T. Benson also spoke in the
forenoon.
At 2 p. m., the Sacrament was administered. The congregation was
addressed by Elders Wilford Woodruff, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards,
and several others with closing instructions by President Young in
which he warned them against breaking the Sabbath. They must not
work, fish, or hunt on that day. He warned them against sin of every
kind, and thus there was begun the work of God in the Valleys of the
Mountains.
On Monday the 26th President Young and several brethren ascended the
summit of a mountain on the north which they named Ensign Peak, a name
it has borne ever since. Elder Woodruff was the first to gain the
summit of the peak. Here they unfurled the American flag, the Ensign
of Liberty to the world. It will be remembered that the country then
occupied by the Saints was Mexican soil, and was being taken possession
of by the Mormon Battalion and pioneers as a future great commonwealth
to the credit and honor of the United States.
Elder Woodruff soon became active in exploring the valley, and
penetrating southward to the Utah Lake. He came in contact with roaming
Indians but found them friendly and desirous of trading with the
whites. After exploring a couple of days, and seeing the new land, with
here and there a herd of mountain goats, sheep, and antelope, he and
his brethren returned to the pioneer encampment.
Four days after the arrival of the pioneers in the Valley, they
selected the site upon which to build the Temple of the Lord. President
Young called the Twelve together on this important occasion, and all
were united in the choice of the Temple Block. Those who were present
on that occasion were President Brigham Young, Elders Heber C. Kimball,
Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Amasa
Lyman, and Ezra T. Benson.
At that time it was moved and carried that the Temple lot {317} should
contain forty acres, but later it was deemed too large a tract to care
for properly, and the lot was limited to the ten acre block upon which
the Temple now stands.
The city was laid out in blocks of ten acres, divided into eight
lots, of equal size, one and a fourth acres in each. President Young
expressed a desire that the houses be built in the center of the
lot, so that in case of fire the neighbors' houses would not be
endangered, being so far apart. The design of President Young was that
no speculation in lands by the brethren should be allowed whereby the
first comers should enrich themselves at the expense of their brethren
who should follow.
Close up to the city limits, the farming land was parceled out in
five acre plats, joining them a little farther out into ten acres,
and outside of these, twenty acre fields. This arrangement prevented
any one man from holding a large tract near the city, and by so doing
prevented speculation by the individual to the detriment of the whole
community.
The city could easily extend its borders without purchasing much land
from any one individual. In other words, the interest of the whole was
to be uppermost in the mind of each man, and the spirit of greed and
avarice seldom asserted itself on the part of those noble founders of
Utah's great commonwealth.
I have heard my respected step-father, Jesse W. Fox, say that he
surveyed many of the cities and much of the land between Logan and St.
George, a distance of over 400 miles, and the desire to select a town
lot or a farm lot in any of the places for speculative purposes never
entered his heart; and if any one asked him to select one for him he
promptly refused, saying that those who owned the land should be the
builders on it and that no one by his assistance should ever speculate
at the expense of the poor Saints coming to the Valley to serve God and
keep His commandments.
This was the spirit and sentiment of President Young, Elder Woodruff,
and all those noble men, and it was generally shared throughout all the
camp of Israel. Indeed, it is the spirit of the Gospel of Christ.
On July 29th, about one hundred and forty of the Mormon Battalion came
into camp with one hundred Saints from Mississippi. Captains Brown,
Higgins, and Lieutenant Willis of the Battalion {318} were among the
number. They were met about four miles out by President Young and
party, and received from them a hearty welcome to the home of the
Saints.
They brought with them sixty wagons, one hundred head of horses and
mules, three hundred head of cattle, all of which served to strengthen
very materially the settlement of the Saints. While some were
exploring, others were plowing and planting so that in less than a week
from the 24th of July they had fields planted with potatoes, corn,
beans, peas, and buckwheat.
What a busy, hopeful, energetic scene the Pioneer Camp must have
presented at that time! They visited the warm and hot sulphur springs
on the north, and bathed in the latter.
A number of the Utah Indians visited the camp, and the subject of
the course to be pursued in dealing with them was discussed, and the
counsel to feed them and not fight them has been followed by the
Latter-day Saints from that day to the present. Had this policy been
pursued by all the whites, much blood and treasure would have been
saved to the nation; and it is safe to say that many lives and much
property have been saved the people by the course of peace and love
pursued by the Latter-day Saints toward their red brethren.
Sunday, August 1st, the Saints assembled for worship and were edified
by discourses from Elders Kimball, Pratt, Lyman, and others. Elder
Willard Richards read a letter from the commanding officers of the
Battalion highly commending the deportment of the Mormon volunteers in
the American service. The revelation given to President Young at Winter
Quarters was read to the assembly and accepted as the word of the Lord
by their unanimous vote.
In the evening the Twelve met in council and decided that Brother
Ezra T. Benson and three others should return east until they met the
company following the pioneers, ascertain their welfare, and bring on
the mail.
Elder Woodruff joined with Elder Geo. A. Smith in cutting and hauling
logs for their cabins while awaiting also the preparation of adobes for
their more permanent dwellings. Brother Woodruff reports his first day
at chopping logs as very fatiguing. Many of the horses belonging to the
pioneers were exposed to the {319} Indians, but none was stolen, "and
this," writes Elder Woodruff, "increased our confidence in the Indians."
About this time President Young felt impressed that he and the brethren
of the camp should renew their covenants by baptism. August 6th, the
Twelve were rebaptized by President Young. Elder Kimball baptized
President Young and the latter confirmed his brethren and re-sealed
upon them all their former blessings. Following this, the brethren
selected their inheritances. Brother Woodruff's was the corner
diagonally across the street from the south-west corner of the Temple
Block, facing the east and north.
In the evening Elder Kimball baptized fifty-five members of the camp.
Elder Woodruff assisted in their confirmation. August the 8th the
general work of rebaptizing continued. Elders Kimball, Snow, Lewis,
Goddard, Everett, and Shumway did the baptizing, while President Young
and the Twelve confirmed. "This made 288 in all who had been rebaptized
during the last three days. The camp assembled as usual at 10 o'clock
for public meeting and was addressed by Heber C. Kimball, much to our
edification. I followed and was never blessed with greater liberty of
speech."
The practice of the Saints coming into the Valley to renew their
covenants by baptism was followed for many years, but later, when the
organizations abroad became more perfect, and the Saints came with
speedy and direct transportation from their native lands to the stakes
of Zion, this practice has been discontinued as not being of the same
necessity as in the early pioneer days.
Sunday, August 15th, Elder Woodruff attended the services and reported
a lengthy and very interesting discourse by President Brigham Young.
On the 11th a little child of Brother Crow was drowned and President
Young offered some consoling remarks bearing upon this sad event, and
he also spoke upon the resurrection. Much of his discourse was upon
the authority of the priesthood, from which we quote a few lines:
"Brother Joseph received the Patriarchal or Melchisedek Priesthood from
under the hands of Peter, James, and John. From those Apostles Joseph
received every power, blessing, and privilege of the highest authority
of the Melchisedek Priesthood ever committed to man on the earth.
Some have had fears that we had not power to {320} obtain revelations
since the death of Joseph, but I want this subject from this time and
forever to be set at rest. I want the Church to understand from this
day henceforth and forever, that an Apostle is the highest office
and authority that there is in the Church and Kingdom of God on the
earth. Joseph Smith gave unto me and my brethren, the Twelve, all the
priesthood, power, and authority which he held, and those are powers
which belong to the Apostleship. We shall take time, and each step the
Saints take, let them take time enough to understand it. Everything at
Nauvoo went with a rush. We had to build the Temple with the trowel
in one hand and the sword in the other, and mobs were upon us all the
while, and many crying out, 'Oh! the Temple can't be built.' I told
them it should be built. This Church should not fall; and the Lord
said if we did not build it we should be rejected as a Church with our
dead. Why did He say it? Because the Saints were becoming slothful and
covetous, and would spend their means upon fine houses for themselves
before they would put it into a House of the Lord; but we went at it
and finished it and turned it over into the hands of the Lord in spite
of earth and hell, and the brethren were so faithful that we labored
day and night to give them their endowments.
"When I look upon the great work the elders of Israel have to perform,
and look around upon them, and see them vain and foolish, it makes me
sorrowful. They forget their calling. O, ye elders of Israel, think
for a moment what manner of persons ought ye to be--men who hold the
priesthood and keys of salvation, who have power to go to the nations
of the earth and say to the people, 'We have salvation for you if you
will receive it, and celestial glory awaits you; or condemnation, if
you reject it.' It is no trifling affair to have power put into your
hands to deal with the eternal destinies of the sons and daughters of
Adam who form the nations of the earth."
In the afternoon Elders Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow edified the people
under the influence of the spirit of the Lord. In conference of the
leading men, they gave to the city the name of "The City of the Great
Salt Lake." It has since been abbreviated to Salt Lake City. The stream
running westward was given the name of "City Creek," which it still
bears; the river on the west, "Western Jordan," to distinguish it from
Jordan in Palestine; the {321} two streams from the mountains on the
east, "Great Canyon Creek" and "Little Canyon Creek." In the main,
these names have been preserved. It was also decided to fence the city,
and to appoint a president, and high council for the new stake of Zion.
Elder Woodruff and his associates were occupied until August 26th in
setting things in order and preparing for the pioneers' return to
Winter Quarters.
On the way, they met Elder Benson as a messenger from the moving camp
of Israel, and later on met the camp itself in different bodies,
chiefly in charge of Elders Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor. The whole
company consisted of 600 wagons. President Woodruff met his father in
the train but his step-mother had gone back to Iowa to live with her
daughter Emma. On the journey many interesting meetings were held and
much choice instruction given and some reproofs meted out, especially
by President Brigham Young. It was a constant schooling. Like ancient
Israel, the Saints were not free from faults, and needed training and
reproving to prepare them for greater things.
Brother Woodruff recorded in his journal nearly all the counsels,
teachings, and ministrations of President Young which occurred on
the journey. A few incidents of an exciting nature occurred on the
route. On the 10th of September, near the Sweet Water, the horses were
stolen, and also those belonging to the Saints on their way to the
Valley. Of this episode Elder Woodruff writes: "The alarm was given
early next morning that a lot of our horses and mules were stolen.
Bells were found cut from the horses, also lariats cut off, an arrow
picked up, and other signs of Indians were in evidence. The trail was
finally found and a company of 200 horsemen started in pursuit of the
Indians. It looked gloomy to see so many women and children here in the
mountains with their horses and cattle stolen. Thirty horses were taken
from the pioneer camps, and twenty from the other camps.
"The company remained together during the day, and in the evening
assembled for meeting and was addressed by Orson Pratt. Heber C.
Kimball, and Brigham Young. During the evening, two of the brethren
returned from the pursuit of the Indians and brought back five of the
horses.
"Next morning we parted with our friends who were going West, and those
of us who had not lost horses divided with those {322} who had. As we
journeyed on, we met the remainder of our brethren returning from the
Indian chase, but with no more of the horses that were stolen. The
enemy had taken forty three."
Ten days later, on the morning of September 21st, another exciting
disturbance with the Indians took place. He writes: "About 9 a. m. the
call was made to get our horses. I started for them in the timber,
one-half mile from camp. When about two thirds of the way one of the
most exciting scenes occurred. I heard several reports of guns in quick
succession. At the same time, our guard cried out, 'Indians! Indians!'
In less than a minute the timber and bluffs were lined with mounted
Indians charging with all speed upon our guard, horses, and camps.
They shot at several of the guards but missed them. The Indians took
a couple of the guards and tried to carry them off by force, but the
guards knocked them down with their fists and escaped. Some of the
brethren snapped their guns at the Indians but the guns missed fire and
no blood was shed.
"As soon as I heard the report of the guns and the cry of Indians, and
saw them driving off horses, and gathering thick and fast upon every
hand, I ran to camp with all speed and gave the alarm, calling upon
all to gather arms and mount their horses. Brothers Kimball, Rockwood,
Matthews, and several others sprang to their horses with guns and
pistols in hand and ran to stop the horses the Indians were driving
away. One party of Indians had driven about a dozen horses and mules
over the hills. Brother Kimball took after them. Two Indians had gone
over the bluff with my horse and mule. Brother Rockwood went after
them, and at the same time about 20 of our horses came rushing toward
camp, frightened by the Indians. With great exertion President Young
and one or two others succeeded in getting them stopped and turned them
into camp.
"As soon as I arrived in camp, I opened my trunk, took out my belt
containing 8 pistol shots, buckled it on as soon as possible, put a
saddle and bridle on a broken down horse, for want of a better one,
and mounted without spur or whip and gave chase after my own horses. I
could not go fast over rough roads with a poor horse, but went as fast
as possible. As soon as I began to ascend the bluffs, I saw Indians
gathering thick on every hand, closing in between me and the camp. As
I passed one Indian, {323} he was priming his gun, but I continued
the chase. While going up a ravine with steep bluffs on each side, an
avalanche of some thirty Indians rushed down upon me and hedged me in
so that I could not get out. Within a few feet of me a large Indian
drew a gun on me. I presented a sixshooter at his breast and gave a
yell, which I had no sooner done than he gave a whoop and ran up the
hill, all the other Indians following his example.
"As soon as my horse and mule got over their fright and were out
of sight of the camp, they tried to return to it, and troubled the
Indians in driving them. Brother Rockwood soon came near them, and
when the Indians found they were overtaken, one stopped and professed
friendship, while the other tried to drive the horses on. Brother
Rockwood fired his pistol at him and the Indians both ran away, and we
soon caught the horses. While this was going on, nearly forty Indians
surrounded Brother Kimball and some of the brethren started to his
assistance. Indians were also on every side of me until I got to the
camp.
"The brethren who were with me having gone to the assistance of Brother
Kimball, the camp was left with but few to protect it, so that when I
arrived I found one hundred and fifty warriors had gathered around it,
all dressed in the greatest war style. The old chief then addressed us
and said they were good Sioux, and they had taken us to be Crows or
Snakes. When they found they could get no more of our horses and that
three had been retaken, they professed friendship. There were eleven
horses in all taken by the Indians who numbered about 200 warriors,
well mounted, while there were not more than 20 of our men engaged
in stopping and retaking the horses. Brother Gould took one of the
Indian's horses and an Indian brought back Brother Woolsey's horse and
exchanged for him. This, with my two horses, were the only ones taken
during the skirmish.
"When the Indians gathered before our camp, they saw that we were
armed, and knew that we had treated them kindly on our way to the
Valley. The old chief then proposed that we smoke the pipe of peace;
and that if our chief, pointing to President Young, would go to their
camp, they would smoke with him and give up the horses they had taken.
Brother Brigham was not well, and we did not think it prudent for him
to go.
"While engaged in the above conversation with the Indians, {324}
Brother Kimball who had been out on the chase, returned bare headed,
having dropped his hat. He was accompanied by Brother Benson, and in
riding into camp rushed his horse through the midst of the Indians.
They feared some treachery, or that he was an enemy. They leaped upon
their horses and dashed away from the camp, some even running into the
creek. As soon as they saw that no harm was intended, they returned and
took their places, having a hearty laugh at their fright.
"Brother Kimball volunteered to accompany the chief into his camp, in
place of President Young, that we might get our horses. Brother Stephen
Markham and myself volunteered to go with him, so we three mounted our
horses and started on the expedition. We took a Frenchman with us who
could speak a little of the Sioux language.
"The Indians told us their camp was one mile away, but we traveled
seven miles over bluffs and valleys before we came in sight of it. The
camp was three miles distant yet, so we halted and waited for them.
When they came up to us they pitched about one hundred lodges. They
numbered about six hundred, men, women, and children, and brought with
them about one thousand horses and mules, all of which we supposed were
stolen from emigrants and from Indian tribes.
"Their camps presented a very picturesque and amusing appearance. Among
their horses we readily recognized our own, which were stolen on the
night we camped with Brother Grant's company. We lost nearly fifty head
that night and here they were in the drove which these Indians had.
"The old chief called together the war chiefs and placed them on his
left hand, and ourselves on his right, and sat down upon the grass,
filled a long pipe with kinnikinic, smoked it, and passed it to his
chiefs. They smoked and passed it to us, and we each smoked in turn.
The old chief then told us to pick out our horses, which we undertook
to do, but found it no easy task to pick out a few horses from among
one thousand others scattered for nearly two miles up the creek. After
a laborious search, we got all but two that were stolen that morning.
We spoke to the chief about the two horses they still had in their
possession, but while they acknowledged they had them, they gave us no
encouragement that they would let us have them upon our arrival {325}
at Laramie, but would only let us have one of them now. The brethren
presented the chief with three bushels of salt and we then returned to
camp. Thus ended the exciting scenes and business of the day."
In a subsequent effort to regain these stolen horses they were
unsuccessful. It appears that the Indians did not fulfill their
promise, but spirited the horses away where they could not be found.
On the 2nd of October, Brother Woodruff and Luke Johnson started out in
search of some buffalo meat. He writes of this as follows: "We started
at day break, and the wolves, whose cries had rent the air during the
night, were slinking away in all directions as we rode along, and the
beautiful swans were floating upon the water, adding charm to the
scene. Soon, a large herd of buffaloes was in sight. We left our horses
and stole upon them as stealthily as we could. The picket guards were
frightened several times, but we managed to reassure them. There is no
well disciplined army of men more particular to have an old experienced
guard on a close look out than a herd of buffaloes." After an exciting
hunt they succeeded in getting only one cow. On the 8th they had a
beautiful view of a herd of elk, but did not succeed in procuring
any. On the 17th they organized a hunting expedition and succeeded in
killing two buffaloes, which supplied them with meat for a short time.
On the 19th they were met by the police from Winter Quarters, who were
led by Brother Hosea Stout. These brethren escorted the pioneer company
back, and they all arrived on the banks of the Missouri, October
31st, 1847. A few days previous to Brother Woodruff's arrival, Sister
Woodruff had given birth to a daughter. Mother and child were doing
well, and all were cheerful and happy.
The eventful year of 1847 was now drawing to a close, and ere it
became merged into eternity, one more great event had been catalogued
in the great book of God's purpose for fulfillment. On December 5th
in a council held at Elder Orson Hyde's, President Brigham Young was
chosen and sustained by the counsel to be the President, Prophet, Seer,
and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
with Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his first and second
counselors. {326} Father John Smith, uncle to the Prophet Joseph,
was chosen the following day to be the Presiding Patriarch of the
Church. This action was ratified by the unanimous vote of the general
conference held in the Log Tabernacle, December 27th, 1847. About 1,000
souls were assembled, and with one united vote sustained these brethren
in the First Presidency, and in the Patriarchal office of the Church.
The Apostles present at the council and the conference were Brigham
Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards,
Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Amasa Lyman, and Ezra T. Benson. Of
the event, President Woodruff wrote in his journal:
"From President Young's teachings we learned that it was necessary
to keep up a full organization of the Church, through all time, as
far as could be, at least the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve,
Seventies, and Patriarchs, over the whole Church."
The affairs of the Saints at Winter Quarters were prosperous, and
prospects bright for the New Year.
{327}