THE MARTYRED PATRIARCH'S WIDOW--A WOMAN'S STRENGTH AND
INDEPENDENCE--THE CAPTAIN "LEAVES HER OUT IN THE COLD"---HER PROPHESY
AND CHALLENGE TO THE CAPTAIN--A PIONEER INDEED--SHE IS LED BY
INSPIRATION--THE SEERIC GIFT OF THE SMITHS WITH HER--HER CATTLE--THE
RACE--FATE AGAINST THE CAPTAIN--THE WIDOW'S PROPHESY FULFILLED.
"I will beat you to the valley, and ask no help from you either!"
--
The exodus called out the women of Mormondom in all their Spartan
strength of character. They showed themselves State-founders indeed.
We are reading examples of them as pioneers unsurpassed even by the
examples of the immortal band of pioneer apostles and elders who led
them to the "chambers of the mountains." The following story of the
widow of Hyrum Smith will finely illustrate this point:
At the death of the patriarch the care of the family fell upon his
widow, Mary Smith. Besides the children there were several helpless and
infirm people, whom for various charitable reasons the patriarch had
maintained; and these also she cared for, and brought through to the
valley the major part of them, under unusually trying circumstances.
Passing over the incidents of her journey to winter quarters, after
the expulsion from Nauvoo, we come at once to her heroic effort from
winter quarters westward. In the spring of 1848 a tremendous effort
was made by the saints to emigrate to the valley on a grand scale. No
one was more anxious than Widow Smith; but to accomplish it seemed an
impossibility, for although a portion of her household had emigrated in
1847, she still had a large and, comparatively, helpless family--her
sons John and Joseph, mere boys, being her only support. Without teams
sufficient to draw the number of wagons necessary to haul provisions
and outfit for the family, and without means to purchase, or friends
who were in circumstances to assist, she determined to make the
attempt, and trust in the Lord for the issue. Accordingly every nerve
was strained, and every available object was brought into requisition.
Cows and calves were yoked up, two wagons lashed together, and a team
barely sufficient to draw one was hitched on to them, and in this
manner they rolled out from winter quarters some time in May. After a
series of the most amusing and trying circumstances, such as sticking
in the mud, doubling teams up all the little hills, and crashing at
ungovernable speed down the opposite sides, breaking wagon-tongues and
reaches, upsetting, and vainly trying to control wild steers, heifers,
and unbroken cows, they finally succeeded in reaching the Elk Horn,
where the companies were being organized for the plains.
Here Widow Smith reported herself to President Kimball as having
"started for the valley." Meantime, she had left no stone unturned or
problem untried, which promised assistance in effecting the necessary
preparations for the journey. She had done to her utmost, and still the
way looked dark and impossible.
President Kimball consigned her to Captain ----'s fifty. The captain was
present. Said he:
"Widow Smith, how many wagons have you?"
"Seven."
"How many yokes of oxen have you?"
"Four," and so many cows and calves.
"Well," said the captain, "it is folly for you to start in this manner;
you never can make the journey, and if you try it you will be a burden
upon the company the whole way. My advice to you is, to go back to
winter quarters and wait till you can get help."
Widow Smith calmly replied: "Father ----" (he was an aged man), "I will
beat you to the valley, and will ask no help from you either!"
This seemed to nettle the old gentleman, and it doubtless influenced
his conduct toward her during the journey.
While lying at Elk Horn she sent back and succeeded in buying on
credit, and hiring for the journey, several yoke of oxen from brethren
who were not able to emigrate that year, and when the companies were
ready to start she and her family were somewhat better prepared for the
journey, and rolled out with lighter hearts and better prospects than
favored their egress from winter quarters.
As they journeyed on the captain lost no opportunity to vent his
spleen on the widow and her family; but she prayerfully maintained
her integrity of purpose, and pushed vigorously on, despite several
discouraging circumstances.
One day, as they were moving slowly through the hot sand and dust,
in the neighborhood of the Sweetwater, the sun pouring down with
excessive heat, towards noon, one of Widow Smith's best oxen laid
down in the yoke, rolled over on his side, and stiffened out his legs
spasmodically, evidently in the throes of death. The unanimous opinion
was that he was poisoned. All the hindmost teams of course stopped, the
people coming forward to know what was the matter. In a short time the
captain, who was in advance of the company, perceiving that something
was wrong, came to the spot. Probably no one supposed for a moment that
the ox would recover, and the captain's first words on seeing him were:
"He is dead, there is no use working with him; we'll have to fix up
some way to take the widow along; I told her she would be a burden upon
the company."
Meantime Widow Smith had been searching for a bottle of consecrated
oil in one of the wagons, and now came forward with it, and asked her
brother, Joseph Fielding, and the other brethren, to administer to the
ox, thinking that the Lord would raise him up. They did so, pouring
a portion of oil on the top of his head, between and back of the
horns, and all laid hands upon him, and one prayed, administering the
ordinance as they would have done to a human being that was sick. In
a moment he gathered up his legs, and at the first word arose to his
feet, and traveled right off as well as ever. He was not even unyoked
from his mate.
On the 22d of September the company crossed over "Big Mountain," when
they had the first glimpse of Salt Lake Valley. Every heart rejoiced,
and with lingering fondness they gazed upon the goal of their wearisome
journey. The descent of the western side of "Big Mountain" was
precipitous and abrupt, and they were obliged to rough lock the hind
wheels of the wagons, and, as they were not needed, the forward cattle
were turned loose to be driven to camp, the "wheelers" only being
retained on the wagons. Desirous of shortening the next day's journey
as much as possible, they drove on till a late hour in the night, and
finally camped near the eastern foot of the "Little Mountain." During
this night's drive several of Widow Smith's cows, that had been turned
loose from the teams, were lost in the brush. Early next morning her
son John returned to hunt for them, their service in the teams being
necessary to proceed.
At an earlier hour than usual the captain gave orders for the company
to start, knowing well the circumstances of the widow, and that she
would be obliged to remain till John returned with the lost cattle.
Accordingly the company rolled out, leaving her and her family alone.
Hours passed by ere John returned with the lost cattle, and the company
could be seen toiling along far up the mountain. And to human ken it
seemed probable that the widow's prediction would ingloriously fail.
But as the company were nearing the summit of the mountain a cloud
burst over their heads, sending down the rain in torrents, and throwing
them into utter confusion. The cattle refused to pull, and to save
the wagons from crashing down the mountain side, they were obliged to
unhitch, and block the wheels. While the teamsters sought shelter, the
storm drove the cattle in every direction, so that when it subsided
it was a day's work to find them and get them together. Meantime, as
noted, John had returned with the stray cattle, and they were hitched
up, and the widow and family rolled up the mountain, passing the
company and continuing on to the valley, where she arrived fully twenty
hours in advance of the captain. And thus was her prophesy fulfilled.
She kept her husband's family together after her arrival in the valley,
and her prosperity was unparalleled. At her death, which occurred
September 21st, 1852, she left them comfortably provided for, and in
possession of every educational endowment that the facilities of the
times would permit.