Morning fine and pleasant. At ten o'clock a meeting was held in the
camp and the brethren addressed successively by Elders G. A.
Smith, H. C. Kimball and E. T. Benson, these mostly
expressing their feeling of gratification for the prospects of this
country, each being highly satisfied with the soil, etc. Elder Kimball
referred especially to the manifold blessings we have been favored
with during the journey. Not a man, woman, or child has died on the
journey, not even a horse, mule, ox, cow or chicken has died during
the whole journey. Many exhortations were given to the brethren to
be faithful, obey the council of those in authority and we shall be
blessed and prosperous. At 1:00 p.m. by request of Elder Kimball, the
following persons viz.: Howard Egan, Hans C. Hanson, Jackson Redding,
Carlos Murray, Thomas Cloward, George Billings, Philo Johnson, Charles
Harper, Edson Whipple, Wm. A. King, Hosea Cusing, Robert Byard, Orson
K. Whitney and Horace Whitney, assembled themselves in a willow grove
adjacent to the camp where Elder Kimball addressed them in substance as
follows [the whole reported by Horace Whitney]:
"Most of you here present have become adopted into my family, except
a very few calling them by name and Horace, who has become connected
with my family by marriage, but I do not care for that, you are all the
same to me, and your interest is my interest for what's mine is yours
and what's yours is your own. If I have the privilege of building a
house, I want you to help me and I will help you. Horace will want to
build a house for some of his father's family if they should come up
and there is plenty of timber in the hills. When my family comes up,
we may conclude to settle somewhere else. If so, there will be plenty
to buy us out if we shall have made any improvements. I want you all
to be prudent and take care of your horses, cattle and everything
entrusted to your care. It would be a good plan and probably will be
done for those who stay here, to go back on the Sweet Water and kill
buffalo, etc., for winter consumption. We shall go tomorrow if Brigham
is well enough, in search of a better location--if indeed, such
can be found--if not, we shall remain here. There should be an
enclosure made for the purpose of keeping the horses and cattle in
nights for there are plenty of Indians in the vicinity. I should
advise you to keep the Sabbath day holy whether others do or not. I
want you to put all the seed into the ground that you think will come
to maturity. I am satisfied that buckwheat will do as well here as
any other seed we can grow. I want also some peach stones and apple
seeds to be planted forthwith. Brother Byard and Hans I would like
to have immediately engage in making garments of buck skins, Brother
Cloward in making shoes and Brother Johnson in making hats as soon as
practicable. If you wish to go hunting, fishing, or to see the country,
select a week day and not the Lord's day for that purpose. Do not let
us get giddy and light minded as the Nephites did of old, but strive to
work righteousness in the beginning, inasmuch as we have reached the
promised land. If it is advisable to work in a family capacity, we will
do so; and if in a church capacity, we should be equally willing to do
that. I am going out on a scout with the brethren and I shall probably
want one or two of you to go with me and also one or two wagons. I
am not going to take anything back with me to Winter Quarters except
what is actually necessary--even some of my clothes I shall leave
behind. I shall leave Bishop Whipple with you. He is quite a steady
and economical man, and as such I recommend him to you. I want every
man to be as industrious as possible while I am gone and get into the
ground all the turnips, cabbage and other seeds you can. In case a
storm of snow should come on, it would be advisable to drive all the
cattle among the willows where they can remain until the snow goes off.
I want you all to work together until such time as every man can have
his inheritance set off to him. I feel towards you as a father towards
his children and I want you to banish all peevishness from your midst
and accommodate yourselves as much as possible to each other's wishes.
I have it to say that my boys have been faithful to their various
duties on this journey and other people have noticed it and expressed
the opinion that they never saw such an attentive set of men in their
lives, and I consider that their conduct is worthy of imitation. I want
you to be sober and prayerful and remember me and my family in your
prayers." A number of other good ideas were advanced by Brother Heber
and then we closed the meeting by prayer.
At 2:00 p.m. the brethren again assembled within the camp and were
successively addressed by Elders Woodruff, Orson Pratt and W. Richards
sustaining the ideas advanced by the other brethren this morning. Some
remarks followed from Lorenzo Young, John Pack and others and the
meeting was dismissed. It is contemplated to send some wagons back to
lighten the loads and assist the next company over these rough roads.
It is now certain that there is considerable timber in the ravines and
valleys between the mountains, several large bodies having been seen
by the brethren since our arrival. There is a mountain lying northeast
from here on which is considerably large timber. It is supposed to be
about ten miles distance. The northern expedition is given up for the
present on account of President Young's health. A company intend to
go tomorrow to the lake and survey that region. If they go, they will
probably be gone a day or two.