DISSENSIONS IN THE CAMP.
On the seventh of June Zion's Camp reached the Allred settlement, on
Salt River. This Allred settlement consisted, for the most part, of
Latter-day Saints, and here Joseph resolved to refresh his men and
teams by resting a few days. The day following their arrival, they
were rejoined by Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight who had parted from the
main company in Ohio for the purpose of going into Michigan, to raise
from among the several branches of that State, volunteers to assist in
redeeming Zion. The addition of these volunteers swelled the number in
the camp to two hundred and five men, and twenty-five baggage wagons,
with two or three horses to each.
During this stay of several days at Salt River, a reorganization of
the camp took place. Lyman Wight, who had some knowledge of military
evolutions and tactics, and was, withal, a bold, fearless man, was
elected general of the camp. Joseph chose a company of twenty men to be
his life guard, of whom his brother Hyrum was made captain. The rest of
the men were organized into companies as at New Portage. The general
of the camp drilled these companies in military manoeuvres; inspected
their fire-locks, and gave them target practice by platoons--in short,
prepared them for effective service should the emergency arise for them
to use force to retain their possessions in Zion.
I regret to say that the spirit of union and harmony depicted in
my pen sketch of the camp, in the foot-note of chapter eighteen,
was not always characteristic of it. There were times when a spirit
of selfishness and an utter lack of brotherly love with some was
manifested. Particularly was this true of one Sylvester Smith, who
exhibited a selfish and at other times a quarrelsome spirit. One
evening when provisions in camp were scarce, Elder P. P. Pratt called
upon Sylvester Smith for something to eat; and although Smith had food,
he refused to divide with Brother Pratt, and sent him to someone else.
The end of it was Brother Pratt had to retire hungry. Joseph being
told of this, severely reproved the offender; and whether that reproof
continued to gall the feelings of Sylvester Smith or not, I cannot say.
But at any rate, as soon as the camp arrived at what is known as the
twenty-two mile Wockendaw Prairie, well on to two hundred miles west
from the Mississippi, this same man and Lyman Wight made an effort to
divide the camp. The company had first taken up quarters in the woods
on the bank of the river; but being threatened by their enemies, Joseph
decided that it would be better to move out into the open prairie.
With this arrangement some were dissatisfied, as it took them away
from firewood. Lyman Wight and Sylvester Smith turned aside with their
companies and went into camp before leaving the timber; and as the
other companies came along, would hail the captains and ask them if
they were following General or Wight some other man.
At this some companies hesitated a moment, and then drove out to the
plain where the ensign had been planted to mark the place Joseph had
chosen for the encampment. Those who had turned aside, and made an
effort to divide the camp, came up also, and were called upon to give
an account of their conduct. They acknowledged their error, and were
forgiven.
Another difficulty arose among the brethren, about a dog which had
snapped at Sylvester Smith and others. Considerable anger and ill
feeling existed in camp about it. At last Joseph in the presence of a
number of the brethren said: "I will descend to that spirit which is
in the camp, to show you the spirit you are of; for I want to drive
it from the camp. _The man that kills that dog, I will whip him."_
Sylvester Smith came up just in time to hear the last part of Joseph's
remarks, and said: "If that dog bites me I shall kill him."
"If you do I will whip you," replied Joseph.
"If you do, I shall defend myself the best way that I can."
To which Joseph rejoined that he would whip him in the name of the
Lord. "Now," said he, "I have descended to that spirit to show you the
spirit which is among you. Brethren, are you not ashamed of it? I am."
Then he reproved them sharply for their murmuring and follies. As they
continued in their rebellious moods and manifested but little of the
spirit of repentance, he predicted that a plague would overtake the
camp, and they would die like sheep with the rot.[A] Of the fulfillment
of this prediction, I shall speak hereafter.
[Footnotes A: Of this prophecy Heber C. Kimball, in his journal under
date of June 3rd says: "This day June 3rd, while we were refreshing
ourselves and our teams, about the middle of the day, Brother Joseph
got up in a wagon and said that he would deliver a prophecy. After
giving the brethren much good advice, exhorting them to faithfulness
and humility, he said the Lord had told him that there would be a
scourge come upon the camp, in consequence of the factions and unruly
spirits that appeared among them and they should 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."--Times and Seasons Vol. vi. p. 788.]