BATHSHEBA W. SMITH'S STORY CONTINUED--THE PIONEERS RETURN TO WINTER
QUARTERS--A NEW PRESIDENCY CHOSEN--OLIVER COWDERY RETURNS TO THE
CHURCH--GATHERING THE REMNANT FROM WINTER QUARTERS--DESCRIPTION OF HER
HOUSE ON WHEELS.
Continuing her narration of affairs at winter quarters, Sister
Bathsheba W. Smith says:
"As soon as the weather became warm, and the gardens began to produce
early vegetables, the sick began to recover. We felt considerable
anxiety for the safety of the pioneers, and for their success in
finding us a home. About the first of December, to our great joy, a
number of them returned. They had found a place in the heart of the
Great Basin, beyond the Rocky Mountains, so barren, dry, desolate
and isolated that we thought even the cupidity of religious bigots
would not be excited by it. The pioneers had laid out a city, and had
commenced a fort; and some seven hundred wagons and about two thousand
of our people had by this time arrived there. The country was so very
dry that nothing could be made to grow without irrigation.
"After the location of winter quarters a great number of our people
made encampments on the east side of the river, on parts of the
Pottawatomie lands. The camps, thus scattered, spread over a large
tract. On one occasion my husband and I visited Hyde Park, one of these
settlements, in company with the twelve apostles. They there held a
council in a log-cabin, and a great manifestation of the holy spirit
was poured out upon those present. At this council it was unanimously
decided to organize the First Presidency of the Church according to
the pattern laid down in the Book of Covenants. Soon after, a general
conference was held in the log tabernacle at Kanesville (now Council
Bluffs), at which the saints acknowledged Brigham Young President of
the Church, and Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards his councilors.
"Shortly after this conference our family moved to the Iowa side of the
river. My husband bought two log-cabins, and built two more, which made
us quite comfortable. The winter was very cold, but wood was plentiful,
and we used it freely. The situation was a romantic one, surrounded as
we were on three sides by hills. We were favored with an abundance of
wild plums and raspberries. We called the place Car-bun-ca, after an
Indian brave who had been buried there.
"In May, 1848, about five hundred wagons followed President Young on
his return to Salt Lake. In June some two hundred wagons followed Dr.
Willard Richards. When Dr. Richards left, all the saints that could not
go with him were compelled by the United States authorities to vacate
winter quarters. They recrossed into Iowa, and had to build cabins
again. This was apiece of oppression which was needless and ill-timed,
as many of the families which had to move were those of the men who had
gone in the Mormon battalion. This compulsory move was prompted by the
same spirit of persecution that had caused the murder of so many of
our people, and had forced us all to leave our homes and go into the
wilderness.
"On the Iowa side of the river we raised wheat, Indian corn, buckwheat,
potatoes, and other vegetables; and we gathered from the woods hazel
and hickory nuts, white and black walnuts, and in addition to the wild
plums and raspberries before mentioned, we gathered elderberries,
and made elderberry and raspberry wine. We also preserved plums and
berries. By these supplies we were better furnished than we had been
since leaving our homes. The vegetables and fruits caused the scurvy to
pretty much disappear.
"In September, 1848, a conference was held in a grove on Mosquito
Creek, about two thousand of the saints being present. Oliver Cowdery,
one of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, was there. He had been ten
years away from the Church, and had become a lawyer of some prominence
in Northern Ohio and Wisconsin. At this conference I heard him bear his
testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon, in the same manner as is
recorded in the testimony of the three witnesses in that book.
"In May, 1849, about four hundred wagons were organized and started
West.
"In the latter part of June following, our family left our encampment.
We started on our journey to the valley in a company of two hundred and
eighteen wagons. These were organized into three companies, which were
subdivided into companies of ten, each company properly officered. Each
company also had its blacksmith and wagon-maker, equipped with proper
tools for attending to their work of setting tires, shoeing animals,
and repairing wagons.
"Twenty-four of the wagons of our company belonged to the Welch saints,
who had been led from Wales by Elder Dan Jones. They did not understand
driving oxen. It was very amusing to see them yoke their cattle; two
would have an animal by the horns, one by the tail, and one or two
others would do their best to put on the yoke, whilst the apparently
astonished ox, not at all enlightened by the guttural sounds of the
Welch tongue, seemed perfectly at a loss what to do, or to know what
was wanted of him. But these saints amply made up for their lack of
skill in driving cattle by their excellent singing, which afforded us
great assistance in our public meetings, and helped to enliven our
evenings.
"On this journey my wagon was provided with projections, of about eight
inches wide, on each side of the top of the box. The cover, which was
high enough for us to stand erect, was widened by these projections. A
frame was laid across the back part of our wagon, and was corded as a
bedstead; this made our sleeping very comfortable. Under our beds we
stowed our heaviest articles. We had a door in one side of the wagon
cover, and on the opposite side a window. A step-ladder was used to
ascend to our door, which was between the wheels. Our cover was of
'osnaburg,' lined with blue drilling. Our door and window could be
opened and closed at pleasure. I had, hanging up on the inside, a
looking-glass, candlestick, pincushion, etc. In the centre of our wagon
we had room for four chairs, in which we and our two children sat and
rode when we chose. The floor of our traveling house was carpeted, and
we made ourselves as comfortable as we could under the circumstances.
"After having experienced the common vicissitudes of that strange
journey, having encountered terrible storms and endured extreme
hardships, we arrived at our destination on the 5th of November, one
hundred and five days after leaving the Missouri river. Having been
homeless and wandering up to this time, I was prepared to appreciate a
home."