WESTWARD.
The moving of a nation! What a task it must have been!
Most of you have had some experience in moving, it may be only a family
moving from one house to another, and you know what a lot of worry and work
there are in such a small affair; but here was a nation moving!
This great exodus was very much like the time when the children of Israel
went from under the oppression of Egypt out into the wilderness to journey
to the promised land. When at Nauvoo, Brigham Young said to the Saints: "To
your tents, O Israel," they knew they had another Moses to lead them from
their persecutors.
The camp at Sugar creek grew larger every day through the arrival of exiles
from Nauvoo. Many did not bring provisions enough with them, so that they
were forced to go to the neighboring farms and settlements and work for
corn.
The first move the camp made was on March 1, 1846, when four hundred wagons
started forward. Five miles only was traveled that day, and when they
camped, the snow had to be shovelled away where they pitched their tents.
From that time the Saints moved slowly westward across the territory of
Iowa. As they advanced, the spring rains came and often drenched the
travelers through. The ground now became very muddy, and it was so hard for
the poor teams that some days only a few miles were traveled. Sometimes
their camping places were so wet that they who slept on the ground would
have to lay on branches of trees so that they would not sink into the mud.
At first there was very little feed for their animals, and they had to live
on the bark and twigs of trees, with what, corn could be spared for them.
Many horses were traded for oxen, as they could stand such hardship better.
Trips were made to the nearest settlements to buy food. Those who had no
money traded what they could spare, such as dishes and feather beds for
corn.
For the first few weeks there was not much order in their way of traveling;
but on March 27th the Saints were more perfectly organized. Brigham Young
was sustained as president of the whole camp. Then captains were appointed
over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. Clerks were chosen to keep the
records, etc., and men were called to see to the buying and distributing of
the food. Thus every one had something to do and everything was done in
order.
[Illustration: A PIONEER TRAIN.]
Often in the evening when supper had been eaten, the logs were piled on the
bonfire, a space was cleared, the musicians brought out their instruments,
and the sorrows and hardships of the day were forgotten in the innocent
dance.
The camp always rested on Sundays, and if the weather would permit,
meetings were held.
On April 24th a point on Grand river was reached, one hundred and
forty-five miles north-west from Nauvoo. Here it was decided to form a
settlement--to build houses and plant crops, that those who came after
would have food and a stopping place. The settlement was called Garden
Grove. Soon it was as lively as a hive of bees. Hundreds of men were busy
making fence rails and fences, building houses, digging wells, clearing
land, and plowing. Meetings were held often and the people were instructed
and encouraged. Parley P. Pratt and a small company were sent ahead to find
another location for a settlement. They found a beautiful place about
thirty miles from Garden Grove, which they called Mount Pisgah. Here houses
were also built, and farms and gardens planted. As many of the Saints were
poor and sick they rested at these two settlements while the main body went
on.
From Mount Pisgah the country was wild Indian lands, there being no white
settlements or roads. The spring rains had now moderated so that the roads
were better. On June 14th President Young and the leading companies arrived
at the Missouri river, where a stop was made. Most of the companies came up
in July. A camp was made on the east side of the river on some high land
called Council Bluffs.
This was on Indian land, but the travelers were received kindly and given
permission to stop.
President Young intended to send a body of picked men into the Rocky
Mountains as soon as possible to locate a gathering place. They were to
push on ahead that summer and put in crops. Arrangements were being made
to this end, when something happened that put a stop to the plan. This was
the call for the Mormon Battalion, about which I will tell you in the next
chapter.
After five hundred of their best men had marched away to fight the battles
of their country, it was impossible for the Saints to get to the mountains
that year. So it was decided to make a third stopping place and remain
there during the winter.
There being a good location for a town on the west bank of the Missouri
river, that place was selected and named Winter Quarters. The town was laid
out regularly into streets, and log houses were built. Some made dugouts in
the sides of the hill, which were quite comfortable during the cold winter.
As the Indians were troublesome on that side of the river a stockade was
built around the town. By December, 1846, five hundred and thirty-eight log
houses and eighty-three sod houses were built, inhabited by three thousand
four hundred and eighty-three people. The town was divided into twenty-two
wards, each presided over by a bishop. A large log house was built in which
meetings and parties were held.
The food of the people that winter consisted largely of corn-bread and
pork. President Young had a grist mill built, but before that time many ate
boiled wheat, and ground their corn in coffee mills.
Because of hardships and poor food there was much sickness at all the
settlements. Graves marked the prairie for hundreds of miles. At Winter
Quarters alone over six hundred were buried.
The poor Saints who were left at Nauvoo were not forgotten. After they had
been driven from Nauvoo, they were met by teams from Winter Quarters, and
all who wished to go were taken to the camps of the Saints.
Perhaps you may get an idea of this great move when you are told that
during that summer there were about two thousand wagons and ten thousand
Saints on the way between Nauvoo and Council Bluffs.
Topics.--1. From Nauvoo to Garden Grove. 2. Garden Grove and Mount
Pisgah. 3. Winter Quarters.
Questions and Review.--1. What might this last move of the Saints be
likened to? 2. After leaving Nauvoo where was the first stopping place? 3.
When did the camp start west? 4. What hindered the traveling? 5. How was
the camp organized? 6. What did the Saints do for amusement? 7. Where were
Garden Grove and Mount Pisgah? 8. What was the object in making these
settlements? 9. What prevented a band of pioneers from going to the
mountains that summer? 10. Where was Winter Quarters? 11. Describe the
place. 12. About how many people were traveling across Iowa that summer?