The World of Joseph Fielding: Chapter 31 Captain of Fifty: Perrigrine Sessions Perrigrine Sessions described his company s departure from e Elk Horn outfitting post: At is time e Indians seemed to be stirred up against us and we dared not travel in small companies and had to keep up guards night and day. This caused us much trouble as men were scarce in camp as we were now six hundred men short... five hundred had gone to e Mexican war and over one hundred Pioneers [had gone wi Brigham Young]. This left us wi almost half e teams wiout teamsters except females. This was a scene of ings at looked hard indeed, but go we must. At is crisis and under ese circumstances [only] e God of Heaven knew when our journey would end. Wi a cheerful heart wi e whole camp we went out into e trackless plains wiout a guide save e Almighty whom we trust in.... I was appointed captain of fifty, e first organized, and in e Company was Faer John Smi e Patriarch of e whole Church & Parley P. Pratt one of e Twelve. In my company were eighty-seven Wagons and fifty men over fourteen and four hundred souls in all and four hundred head of Stock. Here we had some irty wagons wiout a Man to drive em but e females volunteered to drive em. My Moer was one of em.... We had no road, only what we made. Here I was Obliged to direct almost e move of e Whole camp. Broer Pratt and I had to go ahead of e camp... on foot to hunt out e way, build bridges, hunt fords across e streams. This exposed us to e Indians more an any oer men but we had not traveled far before, one day as we were some four miles ahead of e camp, we found each of us a fine horse, one of em had a saddle and bridle on. This gave us much joy and a ankful heart as we found it much easier to ride an to go afoot. I will say at is was a Blessing of God to us. 1 Perrigrine Session s and Elder Pratt s piloting ahead of e companies was essential. Snow was melting in e spring weaer and e Platte River was very high. At one point e two had to ride forty miles along e Platte before ey could find a place where e hundreds of wagons could cross. Broer Sessions wrote: We found a place to ford e river, alough we had to drive all our cattle several times across to tamp e quicksand so at we could cross our wagons. The stream was about one half mile wide. This hindered us two days but all got safe over. We en had about irty five miles wiout water over a sandy plain. In e afternoon it began to rain. This furnished us wi plenty of water for e stock. Camped wiout wood. Here we found plenty of Antilope, killed several. Continued our journey to Wood River... Here we found a sign of e Pioneers and a letter at gave us much joy. I will -475- Perrigrine Sessions was a Captain of Fifty as he traveled 1000 miles to e Great Basin in 1847.
here say at once in awhile we could find e trail of e Pioneers.... The companies traveled as ey were organized, in groups of fifty wagons. The intent had been for e wagons to travel five abreast, but is often proved difficult. Two wagons traveling sideby-side was easier, and is was enough to keep e bison from dividing e companies. According to Elder Taylor s biographer, when e prairies were wide and e ground unbroken, 2 two companies often traveled abreast. The pioneers traveled west from Winter Quarters along e Sou Platte, heading nor at e Nor Platte, seeking rangelands for e cattle and campgrounds wi clean water. The Oregon pioneers followed part of is route. They camped at night in two half-moon shapes, e wagons chained togeer and e cattle in e center. Night guards of several men protected e companies and e animals. Jesse Crosby, a member of Perrigrine Sessions company, kept good details of eir journey. He wrote, In is 3 order we traveled up e Platte at e rate of from 8 to 15 miles a day. The speed of e cattle was e limiting factor, and e pioneers quickly learned to take very good care of eir oxen. John Taylor s biographer wrote: Public prayer was offered up daily in e camps. Sunday was observed as a day of rest, religious services were held in each camp, and e stillness of e great wilderness of e west was broken by Saints singing e songs of Zion. 4 A blacksmi by e name of Alfred Lambson also traveled wi e Sessions company. He had improvised a bellows which he carried on e back gate of his wagon. Broer Lambson and oer smis roughout e companies, including James Lawson, kept e hundreds of wagons repaired and working roughout eir journey. Broer Crosby recorded at ey passed a Native American village. The village of e Pawnees -476-
seemed a work of some magnitude but [was] now in ruins, being burned by e Sioux last year... We saw and examined e cells in e ear where ey concealed eir corn. We saw no Indians, yet some few seemed [to be] lurking around, a calf which had lagged behind came up wi an arrow shot rough his back. The Pioneers See Bison Wiin two weeks e companies were seeing bison, which ey called buffalo. Jesse Crosby s account is filled wi e ings he found interesting. He wrote: July 6 Sunday camped on e Platte at Grand Island 170 miles from Winter Quarters. The whole camp of near 600 wagons arranged in order on a fine plain beautiful adorned wi roses. The plant called e prickly pear grows spontaneously. Our cattle are seen in herds in e distance. The whole scene is grand and delightful. Good Heal and good Spirits prevail in e camp. Our Labours are more an ey oerwise would be, on account of e scarcity of men, 500 being in e Army, and about 200 Pioneers ahead of us. Later Jesse wrote at ey saw herds of antelope, very wild. Shot one. He continued: July 8 Weaer fine, for ree days we have passed multitudes of Prairie dog villages, ey are certainly a curiosity to e traveler, ey live in cells, e entrance of which is guarded against e rain, ousands of ese little creatures dwell in composts, and as we pass great numbers of em set emselves up to look at us. They resemble a ground hog or wood chuck but smaller. Jesse continued to write about e enormous herds of bison ey encountered. The river, hills and valley were literally covered wi em, eir meat is good and wholesome. Fifteen-year-old Ann Cannon, traveling in e Edward Hunter company, also mentioned e bison: The buffalo came like an avalanche. You would ink e world was coming to an end, ere were so many. We ought ey would stampede our cattle but ey turned and crossed e river. 5 Alexander Lemon, a teenager in e Spencer/Sessions company, wrote: We saw ousands of Buffalows day after day coming down to drink at e Platte River. One time ey came to drink ey were so ick at we had to stop our train and camp for e day. They come to water in a solid, compact body for two miles back [and] made a rumbling like under, a moving mass. 6 In late July Broer Crosby recorded at a body of Sioux, about 100 in number, approached em. He wrote: They are of e Sioux Nation, e neatest and most clean Indians I ever saw. They were -477-
friendly. We gave em a feast of bread & etc. After firing a cannon, e Indians retired to eir lodges about 2 miles distant. The following day e Sioux visited eir camp. Our people traded wi em, gave em bread, meal and corn & etc for moccasins, Buffalo robes, & etc. Jesse described e scenery as ey approached Chimney Rock at e end of July: 29 Traveled 20 miles, camped near Chimney Rock about 90 miles from Fort Laramie; met a party of men from Oregon on horse back. Saw high bluffs in e distance. Weaer fine. 30 Traveled 18 miles rough a country almost barren and camped on a fine bottom of rich grass and rushes. Exceeding high bluffs & shelving rocks appear on our left across e river. Some men went to visit ese heights. They found some creatures & killed em, at ey called mountain goats. They resemble our sheep except e wool. st 31 Traveled 15 miles, is high range continues and places resemble ruined castles & towers of immense magnitude. Porter Rockwell, left, and Apostle Ezra T. Benson left e Great Basin in e summer of 1847 and headed east for Winter Quarters. Broer Lambson, e blacksmi, worked very hard at is time. Under his direction, eighty-five tires were built by e company blacksmis in just one day to replace wagon wheels as ey prepared e last major undertaking of eir journey. In mid-august, Porter Rockwell and Ezra T. Benson arrived in 7 eir camp after leaving e Great Basin. The two men had been sent ahead by Brigham Young who was concerned about e oncoming companies progress. Having arrived in e Valley a mon earlier, President Young was preparing to return to Winter Quarters before winter set in. Broer Crosby -478- The ongoing war wi Mexico put e territories along e Pacific coast in jeopardy. On e four of August, Broer Crosby mentioned seeing a military troop which had traveled from California. The soldiers had stayed at Fort Laramie, which was not too far ahead of e pioneers, and e troops were heading east, back to e United States. The following day e pioneers reached Fort Laramie and were able to trade for new cattle and some supplies as ey prepared to cross e Rocky Mountain range, which ey could see in e distance. Chimney Rock is along e Nor Platte River, a landmark for e pioneers.
wrote at Broer Rockwell and Elder Benson brought tidings from e pioneers, at ey had pitched upon a place for e saints to locate, had laid off a city and temple lot near Salt Lake 450 miles from us. Perrigrine Sessions wrote about eir visit wi e first returning pioneers: When we arrived at e upper crossing of e Platte we met several of e Pioneers on eir way back after eir families. This gave us fresh courage alough our teams were quite feeble. On e 24 of August ey passed Independence Rock, a place of monument wi travelers where hundreds of names are painted or engraved. Broer Crosby wrote, Here we enter e pass of e mountains. Rocky points appear on every side wi a narrow defile. The next day ey passed rough Devil s Gate, a defile wi rocky heights on eier side. By e end of e mon e pioneers were waking up to frost on e ground Many westward pioneers took e time to scratch eir names into Independence Rock. rd On September 3, ey left e Oregon Trail and turned sou to what Broer Crosby called e California Trail. They had crossed e Sou Pass e previous day, e low point in e Continental Divide, and because eir company was in e lead, ere were still hundreds of wagons behind em. Jesse Crosby, a pioneer in e same company as Mercy Fielding Thompson, wrote at ey passed rough Devil s Gate. Pioneers Heading West Meet Brigham Young Returning to Winter Quarters In e early days of September, as e Hunter company crossed e Green River in what is now Wyoming, ey encountered Brigham Young and oers returning from e Valley. His vanguard company had selected a site for e companies, had plowed several acres of land and planted some 8 crops, and were heading back to Winter Quarters. It was only at is point in eir ousand-mile journey at e pioneers knew exactly where ey were going. 9 Recognizing e significance of is occasion, Bishop Hunter killed one of his steers. The women in e company unpacked eir dishes and worked togeer to prepare a feast. Their efforts were hampered by snow, which quit falling before dinner. Isabella Horne, e wife of one of e 10 company leaders, wrote, I assure you we had a feast indeed, spiritual as well as temporal. John Taylor described e event, saying it was a surprise to e pioneers returning from e Valley. The meal had been prepared while e apostles, seven heading east and two heading 11 west, met in council: -479-
Trunks at had been undisturbed on e journey were opened, eir contents investigated and certain articles hurriedly conveyed to a beautiful, natural lawn enclosed by a dense grow of bushes. Several improvised tables of uncommon leng, covered wi snowwhite linen, and fast being burdened wi glittering tableware, gave evidence at a surprise was in store for e weary pioneers. The fatted calf was killed; game and fish were prepared in abundance; fruits, jellies and relishes reserved for special occasions were brought out until truly it was a royal feast.... One hundred and irty sat down at e supper; and if for a moment rising emotions at is manifestation of love choked eir utterance and reatened to blunt e edge of appetite, e danger soon passed under e genial influence of e sisters who waited upon e tables and pressed eir guests to eat; in e end ey paid a full and hearty compliment to e culinary skill of e sisters. Supper over and cleared away, preparations were made for dancing; and soon was added to e sweet confusion of laughter and cheerful conversation e merry strains of e violin, and e strong, clear voice of e prompter directing e dancers rough e mazes of quadrilles, Scotch-reels, French-fours and oer figures of harmless dances suitable to e guileless manners and e religious character of e participants.... Elder Taylor wrote, We felt mutually edified and blessed... we praised e Lord and blessed one anoer. 12 Young George Cannon later described e event, stating at his stomach had shrunk so much during e journey at he could not eat half of what he wanted to at is feast. Young Mary Jane Thompson remembered meeting e company of pioneers wi Brigham Young at e Green River. William Staines was wi is returning group and visited wi Mary Jane s family for a short time, telling of his experiences in crossing e plains and seeing e Valley. Mary Jane wrote, He presented me wi a papoose s moccasin ornamented wi beads, which was very pretty and to me quite a curiosity. Mary kept e moccasin for many years, finally removing e beads and saving em on a string. 13 Perrigrine Sessions wrote: The pioneers hosted a lavish feast at Little Sandy when e apostles met em on eir journey back to Winter Quarters in 1847. They had 200 miles left to go. By e blessing of God we continued our journey and met e first Presidency of e Church on a stream called e Little Sandy. Here we called a halt and ey gave us a brief account of e Valley wi many instructions pertaining to e course at e camp should -480-
pursue when we got into e Valley. This was cheering to e camp as we had but about two hundred miles to travel before we could begin to build and inhabit. Alough in e midst of e wild men of e mountains, yet our Spirits were refreshed and it seemed as ough our burdens were light alough we were worn out wi e long and tedious journey. However, wiin just a few days, e pioneers were traveling in snowy weaer. Perrigrine Sessions wrote: When we got to Big Sandy ere fell about four inches of snow. This was about e first of September and e weaer cold. The ground frozen some but after two or ree days e weaer turned warm and we were able to travel on. By mid-september ey neared Fort Bridger, a trading post which bartered for furs from e Yellowstone area. Alough prices were high, some supplies were available. 14 The Pioneer Companies Finally Reach e Valley in September 1847 By e 20 of September e companies were nearing eir destination. They reached Echo Canyon, which Broer Crosby described as very high rocks, which in places tower for hundreds of feet above and in places nearly over us as we passed in or near e bed of e stream. It was here at settlers from e Valley met em wi oxen and oer assistance. By e 24 of September, e companies began eir descent into e Salt Lake Valley. Mary Jane Thompson wrote: The first ing which attracted my attention when we came into e camping grounds which is now called e Old Fort Square in is city, was a liberty pole from which floated our national banner, e beautiful stars and stripes, e sight of which cheered my heart and gave me a homelike feeling alough in a strange land, for I hadn't seen our flag it seemed to me for almost an age, and e sight of it under e circumstances seemed an assurance at our journey was practically at an end, and it awakened a lively gratitude to God and hope for better times. 15 A woman in Mary Jane s company wrote: When my eyes rested on e beautiful entrancing sight--e Valley; Oh! how my heart swelled wiin me, I could have laughed and cried, such a commingling of emotions I cannot describe. My soul was filled wi ankfulness to God for bringing us to a place of rest and safety--a home. No doubt our valley looks astonishingly beautiful to e strangers who come here now, but it cannot evoke e same emotion as it did to us, poor weary tired, worn out, ragged travelers. When I drove into camp, unyoked my cattle, and sat down on e wagon tongue, and began to realize at in e morning I would not have to hitch up and toil rough anoer day, such a feeling of rest--blessed rest permeated my whole being at is impossible to describe, and cannot be realized except by ose who have passed rough similar scenes. -481-
Elder Pratt s oldest son and namesake, e son of his deceased wife Thankful, was ten years old at e time of eir journey across e plains. His faer had secured a pony from one of e tribes as ey crossed e plains, from which he drove cows for hundreds of miles at summer. He later wrote: The journey across e plains to e moers and faers of Israel, was for e most part, one of trial, hardships and sacrifice; to e young men and maidens, e darkest clouds had eir silver lining. The trip to me, as a boy, alough I was sorely vexed at times, was some of interest, novelty and pleasure. As e Camps of Zion wended eir way towards e land of Promise, daily, new scenes burst upon our view, and now and again we would meet e hunter and e trapper or a band of Indians decked wi beads, ornaments and feaers. The novelty and bustle of camp life, e neighing of e horse, e lowing of e cows wi eir young calves, e deer, antelope and buffalo and flocks of wild geese, e rocks, rills and caves, e lone tree by e wayside, e cold spring, e oasis in e desert, e Indian wickiup and grave, e wild flowers and laughing children, e prairie fires and moonlight nights, e howling wolves and screeching night owls, e inspired Sabba address and song of Zion, all filled my young heart wi delight and inspiration. 16 Perrigrine Sessions wrote: After a long journey of almost four mons, we landed in Great Salt Lake Valley on e twenty-four of September 1847. All well and not a dea while on e journey in my company of four hundred Souls, yet several children were born on e way. Battalion soldiers from Colorado and California had built a fort on ten acres of ground. The arriving pioneers tripled e size of e fort. John Taylor wrote: Our houses were built on e outside line of e fort in shanty form, wi e highest wall outside, e roof sloping towards e interior. The windows and doors were placed on e side facing e enclosure, e outside being left solid, except loop holes for protection. Our corrals, haystacks and stables were some distance behind and outside e fort. 17 John Taylor s biographer wrote about e spiritual undertakings e pioneers made at winter: In e midst of ese busy scenes, e spiritual instruction of e people was not neglected. After e arrival of e several divisions of e company at left Winter Quarters in June, ey were called upon to repent and renew eir covenants in baptism. Elders Taylor and Pratt set e example. The Saints very generally responded to is requirement and e Spirit of God rested upon em in great power. 18 Angus Cannon, e younger broer of George Q. and Ann Cannon, crossed e plains in 1849 when he was fifteen. He traveled wi his sister Mary Alice and her husband George Lambert, who also brought eir younger broer and sister. Angus later explained at e baptisms performed upon arriving in e Salt Lake Valley were associated wi a vow not to seek revenge on ose who had persecuted em. He wrote: -482-
I saw my little broer David cry wi cold and hunger, which so aroused me at I swore I would live to avenge myself on ose who had robbed us of our home and possessions, and driven us out to perish in e desert simply because we believed in e fai of our deceased parents. I knew we had harmed no mortal being, hence my indignation at e wrongs our enemies had heaped upon us. [It was two years before I could repent] of e rash vows I had made of living for revenge, [and be baptized]. 19 Widow Mercy Fielding Thompson Marries James Lawson Before e last of e California battalion members headed east to Winter Quarters at fall, James 20 Lawson and Mercy had married. This happy event was likely celebrated by all in e traveling companies who knew and loved em bo. Mercy and her daughter Mary Jane likely moved into a log home in e fort which might have been completed by James Lawson 21 before winter set in. Making a home togeer in e fort in e Salt Lake Valley was most certainly approved by Elder Taylor. Log homes were built into e fort which was constructed at what is now Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City. Mercy and Mary Jane would have spent e first winter in a home such as is one, sketched in 1893. Chapter 31 Endnotes Pages 475-483: 1.Perrigrine Sessions s account of e journey is found at e Overland Trail Database. 2.Life of John Taylor, page 189. 3.I have used extensive quotes from Jesse Crosby. His account can be found in e Overland Travel Database. 4.Life of John Taylor, page 189. 5.Cannon Family Historical Treasury, page 168. Joseph Hyrum Moesser was a pioneer in e Spencer/Sessions company. He wrote someing similar to Ann s account. As we were nearing Chimney Rock, ere was a large buffalo coming towards e wagon. Two of e men went out on horses and killed it, supplying e company wi meat. When we came to e rock, we all went up to it and wrote our names on it. At one of e camps on e Platte River we heard a great rumbling noise, and looking up saw a large herd of buffalo coming directly towards our camp. They crossed e river opposite and turned to one side and went on wiout making any disturbance, and we felt e Lord had surely turned em aside as ey rarely turn out of eir course. Priscilla Parish Roundy, also in e Spencer/Parish company, wrote, We camped on e Platt[e] River, when we heard a herd of buffalo coming down to drink. They would have run right rough e camp but e men shot at em and e women shouted and ey went by, and just missed e wagons. If ey had gone rough e camp ey would have destroyed all we had, and killed many people. -483-
6.Alexander Abraham Lemon s account of e bison was included in his biography held in e Church History Library. The short bison account is found at e Overland Trail database. 7.Parley P. Pratt and Jesse Crosby bo told of meeting ese two men. Jesse did not name Porter Rockwell. 8.Life of John Taylor, page 190. 9.Priscilla Parish Roundy wrote, We did not know just where we were going until we met e first pioneers coming back from e Valley. Her account is found in e Overland Trail database. 10.Horne, M. Isabella, Pioneer Reminiscences, Young Women s Journal, July 1902, pages 292-293, found online at history.lds.org/overlandtravels. 11.Using e Overland Trail Database, I was able to determine at six of e apostles who headed west wi Brigham Young in 1847 returned wi him at year. Brigham Young led a large company west in 1848, as did Heber C. Kimball. Willard Richards and Amasa Lyman also led a company at next summer. George A. Smi led a company west in 1849. Wilford Woodruff led a company in 1850. Orson Pratt, according to his broer Parley (page 331 of Parley P. Pratt s autobiography), was also wi President Young heading east to Winter Quarters. Orson would not settle in e Salt Lake Valley for ree more years, spending some of at time in England, but he would subsequently make four more trips from Winter Quarters to e Salt Lake Valley beginning in 1851. Elder Pratt and Elder Taylor remained in e valley rough e winter of 1847-1848. 12.Life of John Taylor, pages 191-192. 13.Thompson, M. J., Recollections. Mary Jane wrote at she gave e string of beads to Joseph S. Nelson, a grandson of her cousin Joseph F. Smi. 14.Ten years later, my ancestor Charlotte Boulter Driver would trade a valuable brooch she had brought from England for a can of oyster stew available at Fort Bridger. She believed her husband William was dying and at e can of stew saved his life. 15.This was e woman who called herself Grea, mentioned in e previous chapter s endnotes. 16.The account of Parley Parker Pratt, Jr. is found in e Overland Trail database. 17.Life of John Taylor, page 193. 18.Life of John Taylor, page 193. 19.Cannon Family Historical Treasury, pages 192-193. 20.Joseph Fielding Diary, page 147. I quote an excerpt later from Joseph Fielding s diary where he learned via e returning soldiers at Mercy and James Lawson had married. I will discuss is marriage in subsequent chapters. In proofreading is work, Geneil Harris asked me if e 1851 Iron County census was e only record which showed Mercy s surname as Lawson. Before replying to her email, I searched Utah State Records and found her divorce record. At at point I had to back up and rewrite several paragraphs about her marriage. 21.Sketch of e Life of Rachel Fielding Burton. Rachel wrote at her faer s and Aunt Smi s families moved into Mercy s log home when ey first arrived. She did not ever mention James Lawson. -484-