The World of Joseph Fielding: Chapter 32 Winter in e Fort The original pioneer fort was laid out between Third and Four Sou along Third West, not far from what would become e center of Salt Lake City. Vastly underestimating how many pioneers were on e trail behind em, e vanguard company, wi help from e battalion soldiers, did not build e fort large enough. Levi Jackman, who had traveled wi President Young, wrote, About e 20 of September e camps began to arrive, but instead of 100 families, ere were about 660 wagons and many of e teams were driven by women and children, e men being eier dead or in e army. 1 Apostles John Taylor and Parley P. Pratt Remained in e Salt Lake Valley While hundreds of pioneer families lived wiin e walls of e fort during at first winter, several ousand more settled in e valley and surrounding areas. Elders John Taylor and Parley P. Pratt remained in The Great Salt Lake City at winter wi eir families, presiding over e saints. Log homes were constructed inside e perimeter of e fort, wi e back wall of e home sharing e wall of e fort. A school was held outdoors for as long as possible. Any furniture was made from local pine trees logged from e mountains. The pioneers entered e Salt Lake Valley rough Emigration Canyon, 8 miles from e original fort. Later companies camped in Union Square, now e site of West High School, and Washington Square, e current location of e courouse. Some of e men who had served in e Mormon Battalion began rejoining e encampments of e Saints, bo in Salt Lake and Winter Quarters. The sick detachment from Pueblo, Colorado arrived in e Valley about e same time Brigham Young and his party arrived, and ey helped build e fort, in addition to a bowery on Temple Square which was used for meetings. Toward e end of e summer, battalion soldiers arrived from California after being released from eir military service. Many of ese men headed east wi President Young s company to return 2 to eir families in Winter Quarters, and some traveled independently in small groups. John Smi, Joseph Smi s uncle, was called to be e first stake president of Salt Lake while he was still heading west wi his family. After his arrival in e valley, e members of e Church 3 were divided into five wards. That fall, irty-nine-year-old Charles Crismon built a small water- 4 powered grist mill along City Creek Canyon so e pioneers could grind eir wheat. -485-
Winter Quarters, Fall and Winter of 1847-1848 As e pioneers were arriving in e Salt Lake Valley, Joseph s wife Mary Ann gave bir to a boy in Winter Quarters whom she named John Hyrum. He was born during a time of great sadness, as Hannah s newborn son Hyrum had died e previous mon. Mary Ann s baby soon joined his broer in e grave, living only a few weeks. 5 War Wi Mexico Ends The war wi Mexico ended in e fall of 1847. The United States paid Mexico $15 million and acquired all of what is now California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, parts of Wyoming and Colorado, and all of Utah. The Mormons were once again under e jurisdiction of e United States government. Brigham Young is Sustained as President of e Church in Winter Quarters After a difficult trip from e Great Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young and many of e men from his vanguard company arrived in Winter Quarters at e end of October. Those who returned wi him included five apostles: Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, George A. Smi and Amasa Lyman. Teams had left Winter Quarters a few weeks earlier to meet em and assist in eir return, which turned out to be a great blessing, as e party suffered many hardships on eir way back to Winter Quarters. At at time Brigham Young wrote: We have accomplished more an we expected. Out of one hundred forty-ree men who started, some of em sick, all of em are well; not a man has died... e blessings of e Lord have been wi us..... We drove into e town in order, about an hour before sunset. The streets were crowded wi people to shake our hands as we passed rough e lines; we were truly rejoiced to once more behold our wives, children and friends after an absence of over six mons, having traveled 2,000 miles, sought out a location for e saints to dwell in peace, and accomplished e most interesting mission in is last dispensation. 6 Two mons later, on December 27, 1847, Brigham Young was sustained as president of e Church. Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards, bo close associates of Joseph Fielding as ey served missions togeer in England, were sustained as first and second counselors, respectively. Emma Smi Remarries In Nauvoo, forty-ree-year-old Emma Smi married Major Lewis C. Bidamon. Lewis was just a year and a half younger an Emma and had been born in Harmony Township where Emma spent her childhood. Lewis had two surviving children from his first marriage. After his first wife s dea, he married a second time, but e marriage did not last and he moved to Nauvoo. There, he reconnected wi Emma and ey married on what would have been Joseph Smi s forty-second birday. Lewis was known to be a strong faer figure for Emma s children, in particular Joseph Smi III. -486-
On e 1850 census, his weal was estimated to be $20,000, a sizeable sum. On e 1860 census, an older broer of Mara Telle was enumerated in e Bidamon home. Wi his moer having died 1846, and his faer remarrying, it appears at a compassionate Emma provided a home for is young man until he could live on his own. 7 Despite what might have been Lewis s favorable character traits which won Emma s hand, he was not known to be a faiful husband. He had faered a child outside of his first marriage, and in 8 1864 he faered a son by Nancy Abercrombie, a local widow. After Emma s dea in 1879, Lewis Bidamon and Nancy married. Lewis outlived Emma by almost twelve years, dying in Nauvoo. He is buried in e Smi Family Cemetery. In early 1848, while President Young was preparing to head for e Utah Valley, he received a letter from Almon Babbitt, who had recently arrived in Nauvoo to handle a property transaction for e Church. Broer Babbitt wrote of Emma Bidamon, in context aware at President Young already knew of her recent marriage, and stated at she had joined e Meodist Church. Broer Babbitt informed Brigham at Lewis Bidamon had legal help in preventing e Church from selling property it owned in Nauvoo. It was a discouraging letter as far as selling e 9 property was concerned. Fielding and Smi Families Prepare for Their 1848 Trek During e winter of 1847-1848, Joseph Fielding, wi Hannah and Mary Ann, worked alongside Mary Fielding Smi and her associated families, preparing for eir trek e next summer. Joseph wrote about eir preparations during e summer of 1847, while many of e pioneers were crossing e plains: During e Summer we in e Camp have been diligent in cultivating e Ground, raising Corn, Buckwheat, Potatoes, etc. It was late in e Season before we began, but e Lord greatly blest our Labors, so at we have, I suppose, plenty of Produce, wi Hay for Man and Beast for e Winter, and some to take us to e Mountains, Ploughing up e Sod, fencing it in, having our Food to fetch from Missouri, e Herding of our Cattle, and guarding e Camp from e Indians, etc, has kept us very strong, but I do not complain, ough some have done. I view all e Tribulation of e Church and conclude at it is no more an might be expected in such a Conflict as is now going on between Satan and e Almighty. The World has to be redeemed out of e hands of e Wicked One and to be brought back to its proper and rightful Owner. He will not give it up wiout a mighty Struggle to hold it, and I expect it will cost a great amount of Labor, Pain, and even Blood to accomplish it, but e work is going on, if it be slowly. 10 Joseph Fielding is Called as a Member of e Winter Quarters High Council As to myself, I feel strong in e Fai, more and more so, and I have great Joy in e Lord. I feel a Measure of his Spirit. I am a Subject of His Kingdom, and I desire, I ink above all ings, to see and aid in e rolling on of is great work. I still hold a Place in e Council of Fifty, and have done from its first Organization by Joseph Smi, and have recently been chosen one of e High Council.... -487-
I believe e 12 are striving to act as Faers to e Church as far as possible, but most of em have large families to take Care of wi eir Sealed and adopted ones. I suppose ey might lawfully claim eir Support from e Tying of e People, but ey do not seem to do it. Their Boys, as ey call em, have been farming togeer while ey have been to e Mountains, and e fruits of eir Labor is eir chief Support. President Brigham Young sets himself to magnify his Office and Calling, and to fill e Place of Joseph. There are already, I suppose, near 3000 Souls in e Valley of e Great Salt Lake, and according to e last Reports made by some of e Soldiers of e Saints arrived from California about a Week ago, it is likely ey will suffer some for lack of Food before ey can produce more, but ere ey are, shut in by e Mountains. They cannot get out nor can any get into em, so ey are in e hand of God. We hope at Game will come into e Valley in e Winter. If not, ey may have to kill eir Cattle; I suppose ey have near 3000 Head of em, Cows and Oxen. No doubt Bro s P. P. Pratt and John Taylor will find it quite a Work to keep all ings straight. May e Lord give em Wisdom, and let his Spirit rest upon all People ere. 11 Joseph Fielding Learns of Mercy s Marriage Battalion members returning from California via e Salt Lake Valley brought news of family members who had crossed e plains at summer. Joseph wrote: The Soldiers who went to California and have returned have had a hard time of it. Some had to eat eir Mules, and even e rawhides, grass, etc., yet ey have come from e Valley in less an 2 Mons. They have brought us (me and my Sister) news at my Sister Thompson has got married to Bro. James Lawson. This has been done wiout my council or consent, and is against my Mind, but I shall be sorry if she should be a Loser by it to any amount. 12 The news at his forty-year-old younger sister had married appears to have worried Joseph. It is probable at Joseph knew of eir romance before Mercy left Winter Quarters, and perhaps he did not approve. Possibly his disapproval stemmed from a little British pride at he had not appropriately been asked for his sister s hand. Hopefully his feelings were soon replaced wi compassion for his sister s extremely difficult living conditions. On Christmas Day, 1847, Joseph wrote about his concerns for one of his wives, whom he did not name: My Work at Present is to get Wood for Fuel for my Family and Sister Smi s. I do what I can to make my Family comfortable, and if ere were more Fai in em ey might be so, but one has but little of e true Principle of Fai, and at least questions some of e Doctrines of e Church, so at my Family are not one. I feel a need of more Wisdom, at I may act my Part aright. I wish not to lower e Priesood which I hold, and I am sorry to grieve my Wife. My Daily prayer is at God may give me Wisdom to do right, and at he may forgive me if I err. Perhaps if I had perfect Peace at Home I should not be willing to leave it to go out into e World as I expect before long to be called to do, so -488-
I will try to bear it as a necessary Evil. I have not heard from my Relations is long time. It seems of no use for me to write to em, and I suppose ey ink e same on e oer hand. 13 Joseph Fielding Suffers Poor Heal Through e winter Joseph suffered several injuries. In one accident he injured his foot so badly at he could not wear a shoe for weeks. Anoer time, he fell and injured his side and could hardly manage e work he needed to accomplish. In February of 1848 he became quite ill wi chills and fever. My Life seemed in danger, but rough e goodness of God and e great Faifulness of my Family I was restored to Heal in a few Weeks. Joseph also suffered wi scurvy, a common complaint of ose in Winter Quarters who were not eating fresh fruits or vegetables. It appeared in small dark Specks on e lower Parts of e Body, and contracting e Sinews of e Legs, so at ey could not be straightened. 14 Apostles Strive to Take e Poor to e Salt Lake Valley At e end of e winter of 1847-1848, Joseph Fielding realized he did not have e means to cross e plains during e coming summer. However, his sister Mary was determined to leave Winter Quarters wi a company led by Elder Kimball. In order to assist, Joseph began by repairing her wagons. Certainly Joseph knew of e plans of e apostles to space out eir departures over e next few years so at leadership could be provided in bo e Salt Lake Valley and Winter Quarters. He was aware at he still had time, perhaps two years, to gaer enough supplies to safely cross e plains in an upcoming summer. President Young had already requested permission from e Bureau of Indian Affairs to remain on Native American lands in Iowa Territory for an additional year, alough e decision had been to made to stay wi or wiout approval. 15 The apostles had worked diligently wi difficult means of communication to care for e saints, not only ose in e Salt Lake Valley and ose still in Winter Quarters, but also for ose who remained in camps across Iowa. In e spring of 1848 Brigham Young received a letter from Edward Hunter, who had spent e 16 winter in e Salt Lake Valley. Broer Hunter described eir situation, at e cattle were doing well, at e land seemed to be good for farming, and at mills were being constructed. Edward had traveled nor and sou rough e valley, apparently from what is now Farmington nor of Salt Lake to Provo in e sou. He wrote, I prefer it to any country I have ever been in. The pioneers had found plenty of timber in e mountains and had learned to make comfortable homes from adobe bricks. Broer Hunter informed Brigham Young at ey had a good supply of diary products and building supplies, and if e pioneers at summer could bring farm implements, seed, fabric, tin, glass, hinges and oer materials, ey would be happy to trade for em in e Valley. At least four freight trains, wagons filled wi goods and often driven by LDS immigrants hired by e -489-
merchandisers, would travel to e Valley in 1850, but at is point e market didn t seem to be strong enough to outfit a trip. Since many of e pioneers were descended from rifty New England stock, ey would have carried what ey knew ey could to trade once ey arrived in Salt Lake. Thomas Kane worked to aid e Mormons as early as 1846, and in his honor ey named eir new community after him. Those in e Valley spent e winter constructing grist and saw mills, building chairs, tables, butter churns, and oer useable items for emselves and also for trade when e summer pioneers arrived. 17 While families were preparing to leave eir quarters on e Missouri River, delegations from e Iowa Territory visited e camp and encouraged e pioneers to stay. They offered to hire e Mormons to build bridges and roads, and ey promised em e right to vote 18 in e fall election at year. For at and oer reasons, including not receiving permission for LDS Church members to remain in Native American lands, e saints moved east across e Missouri River. While e term Winter Quarters continued to be used in Utah, e camps moved from e west bank to e east side of e Missouri River, naming eir new community Kanesville. George Washington Beebe was one who chose to remain in Iowa. He and his wife Hester Rogers, e sister of e recently deceased Amelia Rogers Telle of Nauvoo and e adoptive parents of her daughter Mara Telle, remained in Iowa for close to ree decades. It was in ere at ey were reunited wi eir sister 19 Susanna, who had been Providentially located by her broer Ross in Kanesville. Funds Raised to Help e Pioneers Erastus Snow, who had been a faiful member and leader in e Church since his baptism in 1833, served a mission to e Eastern States during e winter of 1847-1848. While in Boston, Broer Snow raised almost a ousand dollars for e benefit of e struggling saints in Winter Quarters. He organized meetings where funds and oer measures of relief could be provided. One newspaper article read: MORMONS. There was a public meeting to be held in e rd city of New York on e evening of e 3 inst. [March, 1848], to take measures for e relief of e Mormon emigrants now encamped in e prairies of e west, equally unable to go on or return. Many of em... must die is winter and for em is sympay is now too late, but some ousands will survive, and ese are in pressing need of seed, grain, iron for plows, repairing wagons, etc, and e medicines required by eir exposures and e fevers ence engendered. Five ousand dollars, seasonably bestowed will probably save e lives of two or ree ousand human beings, whose carcases must oerwise be left to e prairie wolves in e course of e -490- Erastus Snow raised relief funds in e East for e Saints.
famished march of is afflicted remnant to eir new place of refuge, shut in among e 20 souern spires of e Rocky Mountains. Broer Snow was able to return to Winter Quarters wi e desperately needed funds. He traveled west wi Brigham Young s company in e summer of 1848. April Conference was Held in Winter Quarters From Thursday rough Sunday, April 6 to e 9, 1848, e saints met in conference in Winter Quarters where ey listened to counsel from President Young and e apostles as to how ey would move ousands of saints in Winter Quarters to e Valley. The situation was clearly described. There were enough wagons and teams in Winter Quarters at year to take several trains to Salt Lake at summer, but few men had enough resources to independently get eir families across e plains. The breren proposed at some loan eir cattle and wagons to oers, and teamsters would return wi e oxen and wagons in e fall. Orson Hyde said: Here are e breren, e Presidency of e Church and a good number of families to go on wi em, such as mechanics and ose who are actually necessary; ey want to take mill irons and a good many oer ings wi em.... ey want to borrow teams and return em in e fall. How much better will it be for e breren to stretch out eir hands, feeling it will be more difficult for [ose in e Valley] to get a living an us who are surrounded wi plenty. The soil broke mellow. We don t want so many teams as we did last year to plough e ground. You see e necessity of our breren going ere. If ey are sustained, we are sustained. If ey go down, we go down.... If we sacrifice willingly, all e day long, we shall obtain a glorious crown in e end. 21 Brigham Young and his counselor Heber C. Kimball were bo leading two large companies to e Valley in 1848 where ey would join Elders Taylor and Pratt. Apostles Willard Richards and Amasa Lyman would have eir company of five hundred pioneers ready to leave e outfitting station in July. Theirs would be e ird and last company to depart Winter Quarters at summer. Summary of Future Plains Crossings Apostles Ezra T. Benson and George A. Smi would each lead a company e following year, alough eir combined four hundred pioneers would travel closely togeer, much as e 22 companies of Young and Kimball would do in 1848. About fifteen hundred pioneers would leave Winter Quarters e following year, in 1849. That year cholera, which had not been a problem for e Mormons since e 1834 Zion s Camp march to Missouri, would again surface, finding its way to e Platte River where many Mormon and Oregon Trail pioneers would perish. Apostles Wilford Woodruff and Orson Hyde, who would look after e care of e saints in -491-
Winter Quarters for ree years, would bo head west in 1850 after moving all ose in e Iowa camps to Winter Quarters and encouraging em also to head west. Elder Woodruff would lead a company of two hundred which would be among e ree ousand saints crossing e plains in 1850. Elder Hyde traveled wi a group of only nine people in 1850. This small group made extremely good time, camping at night wi e various companies stretched out over e plains and arriving in Salt Lake in less an six weeks. However, even after all e apostles would leave Winter Quarters, many saints remained for a time. John Snider, Joseph Fielding s former missionary associate, was among is latter group. 23 He took his family across e plains in 1851, settling in e 17 Ward in Salt Lake City. Thomas Grover, who had arrived in e Salt Lake Valley in 1847, left in 1850 wi missionaries heading east and returned to Mosquito Creek, a small camp on e east side of e Missouri River. There Thomas s family lived while he acquired cattle from Missouri. Broer Grover returned to Utah in 1853, taking wi him several hundred head of cattle which would be of great benefit to e ranchers in Utah. Missionary Work Continues During ese years of heavy trial for saints in e United States, missionary work continued in England. Franklin D. Richards, e nephew of apostle Willard Richards, wi oer British missionaries, returned to e United States in 1848 on a chartered ship from Liverpool wi several hundred converts. Two oer chartered ships were among e vessels which left England at year, carrying about a ousand LDS passengers, most of whom en disembarked in New Orleans and traveled up e Mississippi River. Some immigrants stayed in St. Louis to find work to pay for e rest of eir journey, but many were able to travel to Winter Quarters by steamboat. By 1850, Winter Quarters is no Longer a Gaering Place About ree ousand immigrants arrived at e Elk Horn outfitting station in 1849 from charter ships, and at number continued to increase over e next two decades, until e Union Pacific 24 Railroad completed a train line from Council Bluffs to Cheyenne in 1867. That year Mara Telle came west, traveling by bo train and wagon, and in 1868 she would become a plural wife of George Q. Cannon. While Winter Quarters remained a community and a way place where Mormons traveling bo east and west could stop and obtain supplies, after 1850 it ceased to be a gaering place. 25 Lyman Wight is Excommunicated Apostle Lyman Wight, who had left Nauvoo for Texas in 1845 against Brigham Young s advice, eventually gave his support to former apostle William Smi, who had already been excommunicated. Most of his followers, but not all, ignored pleas from President Young to join wi e Church in Utah. Elder Wight was excommunicated e following winter, wi Erastus 26 Snow being called to replace him in e Quorum in 1849. -492-
Mary Smi Among Those Receiving Assistance to Cross e Plains Mary Smi, as e plural wife of Elder Kimball, had been strongly encouraged by Heber to join wi his company, but certainly she was also desirous to get to e Valley where Mercy was now living. Just as e poor were assisted in leaving England, and ose wiout resources were aided in leaving Nauvoo, e widows, single women and moers in Winter Quarters were helped wi relief funds from e east, in addition to tiing funds, in crossing e plains. That year, e departing apostles attempted to take as many of e poor wi em as ey could. Louisa Barnes Pratt, e wife of Addison Pratt who was serving a mission in French Polynesia, was among ose being encouraged by e apostles to leave at summer. Louisa had a saddened heart about leaving Winter Quarters wi her four daughters. She wrote: President Young said I must go: at I must do what I could, and he would assist me. When I had decided to go, and asked streng and courage of e Lord, means came flowing into my hands. Things I had ought of no value, at I should row away were sold for a fair price, to ose who were not of our fai, or who were not prepared to go at at time. The Pres t ordered my wagon made ready, a ousand pounds of flour was allotted me: a yoke of oxen in addition to what I owned, a man hired to drive my team. Fifty dollars wor of store goods was appropriated to cloe myself and children. is wi what I obtained by my own economy made me very comfortable. I began to feel myself quite an important personage! It was hard for me to move e dread of, (as I felt,) a never ending journey! We were organized in Pres t Young s fifty wagons, wi Captains of tens; a head commander over all. Six hundred wagons in e whole company: traveling ree abreast. As we made our own road, we could as easily make a wide one. We camped at Elkhorn river more an two weeks, waiting for oers to join us. 27 Joseph Fielding Plans to Stay in Winter Quarters, Then Changes His Mind Joseph saw no possibility of having enough supplies for his two families to cross at year, so he purchased five acres and sowed it wi wheat wi e intent to save enough grain to make his own trek in e next year or two. Over sixty years later, Joseph s daughter Rachel would write about is period, remembering at her family remained in Winter Quarters and raised crops so 28 at we had a good supply for our journey to Salt Lake Valley. However, at some point at spring, Joseph Fielding changed his mind. As I was a Member of e Council [of Fifty], I was advised by Bro. H. C. Kimball to try and make a start. Joseph was able to sell his claim on e property. He borrowed some corn. Even still, bo my Sister and myself found it very difficult to get off. He continued, A great part of our Teams were made up of Cows and young Oxen at had not been broke, and we were obliged to fix two Wagons -493- Louisa Barnes Pratt described her feelings about leaving Winter Quarters in 1848.
togeer for lack of Leaders and Drivers. 29 Joel Terry left his family in Winter Quarters and drove a wagon for Mary Fielding Smi. Mary had asked Joel Terry to drive one of her wagons across e plains. The plan was at he would return to Winter Quarters in order to take his family e following summer. Broer Terry, age irty-nine, had been born in Palmyra, New York, but moved to Upper Canada while still in his you and joined e Church ere after hearing e gospel from Theodore Turley. Joel endured e trials in Missouri and had buried four young children before being forced out of Nauvoo. Wi his wife having just given bir at winter to a son, he chose to leave his family in Winter Quarters anoer season. Broer Terry was a strong man who remained faiful in e Church his entire life. He was also very practical, and he told Mary it was great folly to attempt to cross e plains at summer in e state her wagons and cattle were in. However, he agreed to help her. 30 Joel Terry was not e only person who cautioned Mary about departing Winter Quarters so under-prepared. Perhaps not appreciating at Mary was being encouraged by Elder Kimball to travel at season, Cornelius Lott, who would be e captain of ten responsible for her and her broer Joseph s wagons, also warned her. Cornelius Peter Lott Broer Lott and his wife Permelia Darrow were bo descended from heroic ancestors, some of whom served in e Revolution. Cornelius and Permelia had been searching for e true church and moved to Kirtland after eir baptisms in 1834. In e summer of 1838, Cornelius quarried rock and assisted Joseph Smi in laying stones for e foundation of e proposed temple in Far West. He was heavily involved in peace negotiations during e strife wi e Missourians in 1838. Cornelius and Parmelia were among ose who survived e massacre at Haun s Mill. A son was born to Parmelia in Quincy during e winter of 1839 when eir family fled Missouri wi e rest of e saints. After arriving in Nauvoo, Cornelius built a two-story home which still stands. Close friends wi Joseph Smi, e Lott family frequently hosted e Smis, and eir children played togeer. Joseph Smi s son later recalled at his faer enjoyed wrestling wi e men of e town, but he could never row Cornelius, who always seemed to beat him. In e fall of 1843, Cornelius s nineteen-year-old daughter Melissa became a plural wife of Joseph Smi. At at same time, Cornelius and his wife Parmelia became one of e few couples who -494- Cornelius Lott, concerned for e safety of Mary Fielding Smi and her family, discouraged her from crossing in 1848.
were sealed for eternity. A few mons later in December, Cornelius Lott received his Anointing in e upper room of e red brick store in Nauvoo, about e same time Joseph and Hannah Fielding received eir endowment. Cornelius was an early member of e Council of Fifty, as was Joseph Fielding. Cornelius was a 31 member of e high council in Winter Quarters, serving alongside Joseph Fielding. It is probable at e reason Joseph was one of e ten families under e direction of Cornelius was because he and eir families had become close friends during e years of so much trial in Kirtland, Missouri, Nauvoo, Winter Quarters, and now e trek across e plains. Chapter 32 Endnotes Pages 485-495: 1.Autobiography of Levi Jackman. 2.My ancestor George Roylance was one of e latter. 3.Sixteen Ward Book of Remembrance, page 10. 4.History of Pioneer Sawmills and Local Canyons of Salt Lake Valley, by Asa R. Boworpe, 1961, page 1. Typed manuscript, Brigham Young University, F 832.S2 B68x 1961. A biography of Charles Crismon by O. Virgil & Helen H. Crismon, 1984. It is not clear if Broer Crismon brought French mill stones across e plains or if he used sandstone from e mountains. Oer research has taught me at some of e first mill stones used in e valley heated too quickly, scorching e wheat as it was ground. It is possible at Broer Crisman first used sandstone but later sent for French stones from e east. 5.In her brief memoirs, Rachel Fielding Burton would later write, While at Winter Quarters two of my little broers died. Joseph wrote in his diary, on page 147, at he buried two Male Infants in e Fall: Hyrum T. on e 4 of August, and John on e 16 of September. They died on ose days. They were buried in one Grave here at Winter Quarters. 6.Brigham Young: American Moses, pages 151-152. 7.I was aware of a family belief at Emma Smi had cared for two of Lewis Telle s sons, Edwin and Lewis, but I had not ought to look for em in Nauvoo in Emma s home on e 1860 census, when my research for is family was done wi microfilm prior to digitization. I was delighted to see Edwin in Emma s home, enumerated as Edwin Tully, age 16. He was shown as a servant. Mara s faer Lewis died in a snowstorm in 1856, leaving a widow wi two daughters. 8.The 1880 census shows Lewis Bidamon living wi his wife Nancy and son Charles, age 16. He was a hotel keeper, still living in e Mansion House. 9.This letter was recorded in e Journal History under e date of 31 January 1848. Broer Babbitt addressed President Young warmly as Dear Broer. His letter in part reads, But no little excitement about Emma Bidamon s doings. She has made a deed of e whole White purchase to some lawyers... e intention is to break up e title to e Church holding e location.... The conveyance operates as a complete estoppel Of our selling lands in e city; e Temple has been sold since I left and bid in by Emma s husband....emma has joined e Meodist Church; ey took her on trial. It is to be hoped at she will suit em. They (e Meodists) are laying plans to get in possession of e Temple and oer properties of e Church rough Emma. William Smi has got e mummies from Moer Smi and refuses to give em up; he also has got at logger heads wi Milliken and Lucy [Lucy was Lucy Smi s youngest daughter; Arur Millican was her husband], because Moer Smi made a deed to e property at e Trustees deeded to her to Milliken; hence, you see at e Smi family are divided up.... e effect of Emma s operation will operate strongly against e Trustees closing out e -495-
business. In a second letter which was addressed to Heber C. Kimball, Broer Babbitt clarified, On my arrival home I found considerable excitement in Nauvoo from e fact at Emma Bidamon had made a quit claim deed of all e land in e city conveyed to e Church. She made e deed to her lawyers.... It operates as a perfect estoppel to e sale of more city property.... 10.Joseph Fielding Diary, page 146. 11.Joseph Fielding Diary, pages 146-147. 12.Joseph Fielding Diary, pages 146-147. 13.Joseph Fielding Diary, page 147. 14.Joseph Fielding Diary, page 148. 15.Journal History, under date 9 Feb 1848, Under is day Pres. Young wrote to Col Thomas L. Kane.... requesting him to procure from e Superintendent of Indian affairs, a permit for such of our people to remain in e Omaha country anoer year... and occupy e lands already broken by raising grain for eir sustenance... 16.Edward Hunter s letter was dated March 4, 1848 and I guessed at it was received a few weeks later. The letter was carried by Levi Hancock along wi a letter from John Smi to George A. Smi, dated e next day, and a letter from e Salt Lake high council dated March 6. A typewritten transcript is included in Journal History, which can be viewed online rough e Church History Library. A link to 1848 is here: https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/deliverymanagerservlet?dps_pid=ie407735 17.Journal History, 6 March 1848. This information came from a letter written by e Salt Lake high council to Brigham Young, giving a report of eir situation. This letter, plus several oers, was carried by Levi Hancock to Winter Quarters at spring. 18.Journal History, 6 March 1848. 19.In Search of Living Water, pages 110-111, Ross Ransom Rogers was passing rough Kanesville on his way to e California gold mines when he happened upon his Sister Susanna, who was living in a dugout. He left his associates and took her to eir family who was at at time living in Polk County. 20.Journal History 19 March 1848. Letter from Erastus Snow to Brigham Young. 21.Journal History, 6 March 1848, 14 March 1848. 22.Under e date of 23 January 1848, e Journal History includes a letter from Brigham Young to Orson Spencer which states, Broer George A. Smi is having some log cabins built on e oer side of e river, and intends in a few days to remove over ere and stay for a year or two amongst e breren, as ose who do not go onward must vacate is place and go over to e Pottawattamie purchase. Orson Hyde will stay ere also, and wi Broer George will take care of e branch and push e saints westward. 23.John Snider crossed e plains wi Almon Babbitt, who had been involved wi selling properties in Nauvoo after e exodus. He was enumerated in 1860 in e 17 Ward wi his wife Sylvia and two sons. 24.I scoured sites on e internet to learn how far west e Union Pacific rails were progressively laid. At UtahRails.net I was able to learn at e track was completed as far as Cheyenne by November, 1867. My aunt, Ida Mae Cannon Smi, told me at her grandmoer Mara came west by train most of e way, but had to travel by wagon at e end. For e record, Aunt Maydae was also e source of e bit of trivia about e oyster stew in e previous chapter. -496-
25.I have counted heads, so to speak, wi data obtained from e Overland Trail Database and e Mormon Immigration Index to give is brief overview. I am familiar wi what occurred in Winter Quarters based on e oer histories I have written about my pioneer ancestors. I counted eight ships which left Liverpool wi LDS members and arrived in e US in 1848. Most were chartered, but it appears at a few families made eir own way. The total was about 990 LDS passengers, but not all voyages had complete information. 26.Journal History, 6 April 1848, records at a conference was held in Winter Quarters and before e sustaining of Ezra T. Benson and Amasa M. Lyman to be apostles, ey discussed Lyman Wight. Brigham Young said, Lyman Wight comes next.... He has been from us a good while; we feel yet to hold on to him; we have fai to hold on and not give him up. We hope he will come back and do a good work; he is wild, but we feel to fellowship him and retain him in e Quorum of e Twelve. He was for us e last time we heard from him; we give him our fellowship and remember him in our prayers. Journal History, 14 March 1849, image 119, records at during e winter of 1848-1849, Orson Hyde sent two men from Winter Quarters to visit Lyman Wight and his followers in Texas. They reported at Broer Wight did not acknowledge Brigham Young as e leader of e Church, and at because of his age, Lyman felt he, himself, should be e president of e Quorum of e Twelve. He did state at he would follow John Smi, Joseph s uncle, were he to be placed in charge. He labeled e membership of e Church in Utah to be apostates and said he was leading e true church in Texas and at e main body of e church should move ere and follow him. He en stated at he believed Joseph s son, Joseph Smi III, who was at at time was only sixteen years old, should be e next leader of e church. The two men reported back to Elder Hyde, and he wrote President Young in March of 1849 wi is information. Elder Wight was excommunicated at e next conference. 27.Louisa Barnes Pratt s account of her 1848 crossing is easily found in e Overland Trail Database. I do not believe ere is a relationship between Addison Pratt and Parley P. Pratt. 28.Rachel s quotes of e Fielding s 1848 crossing of e Plains come from her memoirs written in 1914, Sketch of e Life of Rachel Fielding Burton. 29.Joseph Fielding Diary, page 148. 30.Joseph Fielding Diary, page 148. Joseph named Broer Terry, but I was easily able to learn his first name from e Overland Travel Database and gaer information about him from Family Tree, where his identification number is M19K-LCV. Broer Terry was not able to take his family west until 1851. 31.Information about Cornelius Lott came from a wonderful biography written by Gary Ford and found at corneliusplott.blogspot.com. Oer information came from an article in e Sons of Utah Pioneers Magazine, Summer 2003, Cornelius Peter Lott, by Kent V. Lott. Joseph F. Smi also wrote about Captain Lott, found in e Overland Trail Database. Joseph, age nine at e time, saw Captain Lott as an enemy, and is is e reputation which has become e most prominent. -497-