ZION'S CAMP.
In the spring of 1834 Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight were sent as
messengers from the Saints in Clay county to Kirtland to tell the Prophet
what had happened and to ask for further advice. Joseph, you may be sure,
was very grieved to hear about the sufferings of the Saints, and he
enquired of the Lord what should be done. In answer, a revelation was given
instructing Joseph to gather the young and middle aged men of the Church
and organize them into a company which was to march to Missouri to bring
aid to the Saints and to assist them to again get possession of their
homes. Five hundred men were to be obtained, but one hundred would do if no
more could be raised.
Accordingly, Joseph and seven other brethren went two and two through the
various branches in the east asking for means and volunteers for this
mission.
New Portage, a village about sixty miles south-west from Kirtland was
selected as a gathering place, and from this point on the 8th of May, 1834,
one hundred and fifty men started for Missouri. They were organized in
regular army order, having officers to see that everything on the march
was done properly. Joseph was the leader.
The distance from Kirtland to Missouri is one thousand miles. That long
journey was not an easy one. The wagons were heavily loaded, and as the
roads were poor there was very little riding. Often the men would have to
help drag the loads over the bad places. Every Sunday the camp rested and
held meetings. Sometimes the people, suspecting they were "Mormons" would
annoy them, so that guards had to be placed around the camp. People were
also curious to know what this strange company of men was and where it was
going. Spies followed the company for many miles. There were some boys in
camp, and the inquisitive people thought it an easy matter to find out
everything from the boys.
"My boy, where are you from?" they would ask.
"From the east," was the answer.
"Where are you going?"
"To the west."
"What for?"
"To see where we can get land cheapest and best."
"Who leads the camp?"
"Sometimes one, sometimes another."
"What name?"
"Captain Wallace, Major Bruce," etc.
The Prophet Joseph believed in being kind to all animals, and he instructed
his brethren in Zion's camp to kill none except for food. Man must first
become peaceful, before animals will lose their fierceness. Not long after
this instruction had been given, a brother became very tired by traveling
and lay down on the ground to sleep. When he awoke, what should he see but
a rattlesnake coiled up not more than a foot away from his head. Just then
some of the brethren came up and wanted to kill the snake; but the brother
said, "No, I'll protect him, for he and I have had a good nap together." He
remembered what Joseph had said.
On June 7th the company having crossed the Mississippi river, camped on
Salt river in Missouri. More of the brethren had joined the company on the
way, and now it numbered two hundred and five men. From this point Parley
P. Pratt and Orson Hyde were sent to Governor Dunklin at Jefferson city,
asking him to use his power as the highest officer in the state to have the
Saints brought back to their homes in Jackson county. The governor said he
thought it right that the Saints should get back their lands, yet he was
afraid if they tried to go back or if he called out soldiers to help them
get their homes, there would be a terrible war and many people killed. So
the governor would do nothing to help them.
While Zion's camp was making its way to the Saints in Clay county, a
meeting was held in Liberty where some mobbers from Jackson county tried to
arouse the people against the Saints. Nothing being done at this meeting, a
party of fifteen men started for Independence to raise an army large enough
to destroy Joseph and the camp.
One of the leaders of this band was James Campbell. As he pushed his
pistols into the holsters before starting, he said with an oath: "The
eagles and turkey buzzards shall eat my flesh if I do not fix Joe Smith and
his army so that their skins will not hold shucks before two days are
passed!" As he and his companions were crossing the Missouri river their
boat sank. Seven of them were drowned and among them was Campbell. What was
left of his body was found three weeks after lodged on a pile of drift
wood. The "eagles and turkey buzzards" had eaten the flesh from his bones.
On the 19th the camp passed through Richmond. They expected to reach Clay
county that night, but were so greatly hindered by accidents that they
camped for the night between two forks of Fishing river. A large mob had
gathered, bent on destroying the camp. A boat containing forty mobbers had
been sent over the river, when a storm arose. The rain fell in torrents,
the lightning flashed, the thunder shook the earth. Great hail stones
destroyed the corn in the fields and stripped the trees of leaves. The mob
scattered in confusion. The river rose nearly forty feet, which made it
impossible for anyone to cross. The brethren took shelter in a schoolhouse
and escaped the storm. Thus again the Lord preserved his people from their
enemies.
The next day the camp moved five miles out on the prairie. While here, some
of the leading men of Ray county called on the brethren to learn what their
intentions were. Joseph told them how the Saints had been persecuted in
Jackson county; and that they had come one thousand miles with clothing and
provisions for their brethren; that they had no intentions of harming any
one, but their mission was to do good, and if possible help their brethren
to get their lands back again. At the close of their talk, the visitors
promised to do what they could to prevent the mobs from disturbing them,
which promise they kept.
The next day, June 22nd, Sheriff Gillium of Clay county came into camp. He
also wanted to know what the camp was going to do. Joseph explained to him.
In order to get back their lands and live in peace, the Saints proposed to
buy the lands from those who could not live with them in Jackson county,
but nothing came of this and other offers that were made to settle the
trouble.
This same day an important revelation was given through the prophet. The
brethren were told that the Lord did not want them to fight, and that they
must wait for a time before Zion should be redeemed.
During the march of the camp, some of the brethren had found fault and had
not listened to the counsels of the prophet. Joseph had told them that if
they did not repent, sickness would come into the camp and many would die.
This was now fulfilled. On June 22nd, that dread disease called the cholera
appeared in the camp. When you are told that during the next four or five
days sixty-eight of the brethren took the disease and thirteen died, you
may perhaps imagine what a terrible time they had.
On June 23rd they marched into Clay county and camped on Rush creek, where
two days later the camp was disbanded. For two weeks Joseph labored among
the Saints and then he returned to Kirtland. Most of the others also went
back to their homes in the east about the same time.
Topics.--1. Organizing Zion's camp. 2. March of Zion's camp. 3. The camp
on Fishing river. 4. The scourge.
Questions and Review.--1. What was Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight's
mission to Kirtland? 2. What instruction did the Lord give them? (See Doc.
and Cov., sec. 103.) 3. How was Zion's camp organized? 4. What was its
object? 5. Through what states did it march? 6. What were Joseph's
teachings about kindness to animals? 7. What was the fate of James
Campbell? 8. How were the brethren saved from their enemies on Fishing
river? 9. What did the brethren propose to the citizens of Jackson? 10. Why
did the scourge come upon the camp? 11. What revelation was given on
Fishing river? 12. Where and when was Zion's camp disbanded?