The Rocky Mountain Saints/Chapter 37

The story of the Hand-Cart Emigration to Utah that fills so melancholy a page in the history of the Mormon people could only be written properly by one who had himself passed through the sufferings which it relates. A gentleman now in Salt Lake City, and formerly a fellow-labourer with the Author in the Mormon missions, furnishes a graphic history equalling in interest the finest pages of fiction, yet strikingly true, and exhibiting a rare devotion that commands respect. He at first declined to affix his name, but the Author, persuaded of the value of his narrative, succeeded at last in inducing him to consent.

Mr. Chislett is a gentleman who enjoys the confidence and respect of those who know him, both in Europe and in the ​United States; and this episode of his life, illustrating as it does a phase of Mormon emigration, and exploding the presumptuous folly of the predictions of modern apostles, will be read with deep interest.

MR. CHISLETT'S NARRATIVE.

PART I.

THE PILGRIMS SET OUT FOR ZION.

"For several years previous to 1856, the poorer portion of the Mormon emigrants from Europe to Utah made the overland journey from 'the Frontiers' to Salt Lake City by ox-teams, under the management of the Church agents, who were generally elders returning to Utah after having performed missions in Europe or the Eastern States. The cost of the journey from Liverpool to Salt Lake by this method was from £10 to £12. All the emigrants who were obliged to travel in this manner were, if able, expected to walk all the way, or at least the greater part of the way. The teams were used for hauling provisions, and 100 lbs. of luggage were allowed to each emigrant. Old people, feeble women and children, generally could ride when they wished. The overland portion of the journey occupied from ten to twelve weeks.

"This was a safe method of emigration, and it added to the wealth of the new Territory by increasing its quota of live stock, wagons, and such articles of clothing, tools, etc., as the emigrants brought. These were all much needed in Utah in early days, and families going to the Territory with a surplus found good opportunities for exchanging them for land and the produce of the Valley. Many families came out with their own wagons; some of the more wealthy having several well laden with necessary articles. The growth and prosperity of the Territory were slow, gradual, and natural, and as each successive company of emigrants arrived they found the country prepared to receive them. Employment could generally be obtained by the mechanics (especially of the building trades) as soon as they arrived. The wealthy could find cultivated land at fair prices without having to endure the hardship of making new homes on unbroken land, while the agricultural labourer could always find a welcome among the farmers. Artisans and men of no trade were the only class who were really out of place. They had to begin life anew and strike out fresh pursuits, suffering frequently in the undertaking. But the general condition was prosperous.

"The growth of the colony was not, however, sufficiently rapid to suit the ambitious mind of Brigham Young. Thousands of faithful devotees of the Church were waiting patiently in Europe to join the new Zion of the West, but all their faith in Brigham was practically valueless. To be of any real benefit to the Church they must gather in Zion. The question ​was, how to transfer to Utah those who could not raise the necessary £10 sterling. The matter was discussed in the winter of 1855–6, in Salt Lake City, by Brigham and his chief men. After much debate their united wisdom devised and adopted a system of emigration across the plains by hand-carts, as being cheaper and consequently better under the circumstances for bringing the faithful poor from Europe.

"Whether Brigham was influenced in his desire to get the poor of Europe more rapidly to Utah by his sympathy with their condition, by his well-known love of power, his glory in numbers, or his love of wealth, which an increased amount of subservient labour would enable him to acquire, is best known to himself. But the sad results of his Hand-Cart scheme will call for a day of reckoning in the future which he cannot evade.

"Instructions were sent by Brigham and his chief men to their agent, Apostle F. D. Richards, at Liverpool, and were published by him in the Millennial Star with such a flourish of trumpets as would have done honour to any of the most momentous events in the world's history. That apostle announced to the Saints that God, ever watchful for the welfare of his people and anxious to remove them from the calamities impending over the wicked in Babylon, had inspired His servant Brigham with His spirit, and by such inspiration the hand-cart mode of emigration was adopted. By going to Zion in this way some difficulty would be experienced; but had not the Lord said that He would have a 'tried people,' and that they should come up 'through great tribulation,' etc. Thus reasoned this grave apostle—declaring the plan was God's own, and of His own devising through His servant Brigham. Thus the word went forth to the faithful Mormons with the stamp of Divinity upon it. They received it with gladness, believing in the assertion that 'He doeth all things well,' and they set about preparing for their journey—at least as many as could raise means to reach the frontiers. Those who had more money than was necessary for this were counselled to deposit all they had with F. D. Richards, that it might be used to help others to that point, as all who reached there would be surely sent through.

"Many, in their honest, simple whole-heartedness, and love for their brethren and sisters, obeyed this counsel, while many others helped their own immediate friends and acquaintances to emigrate. The result was that a greater number of the Saints left Liverpool for Utah that year than ever before or since. Of this, Richards felt proud, and frequently boasted of it, as though the success of the scheme was certain when the people had left Liverpool.

"What his instructions from Brigham were, or whether he exceeded them, it is immaterial now to enquire; but certain it is that the preparations on the frontiers were altogether inadequate to the number of emigrants, as indeed were the preparations throughout the entire journey west of New York. For instance, several hundred emigrants would arrive at Iowa City, expecting to find tents or some means of shelter, as agents ​had been sent on from Liverpool to purchase tents, hand-carts, wagons, and cattle, and to prepare generally for the coming flood of emigrants. But they were doomed to disappointment. There were no wagons or tents, and, for days after their arrival, no shelter but the broad heavens. They were delayed at Iowa City for some weeks—some of them for months—while carts were being made, and this, too, when they should have been well on their way.

"The 'Divine plan' being new in this country, of course hand-carts were not procurable, so they had to be made on the camp-ground. They were made in a hurry, some of them of very insufficiently seasoned timber, and strength was sacrificed to weight until the production was a fragile structure, with nothing to recommend it but lightness. They were generally made of two parallel hickory or oak sticks, about five feet long, and two by one and a half inches thick. These were connected by one cross-piece at one end to serve as a handle, and three or four similar pieces nearly a foot apart, commencing at the other end, to serve as the bed of the cart, under the centre of which was fastened a wooden axletree, without iron skeins. A pair of light wheels, devoid of iron, except a very light iron tire, completed the "divine" hand-cart. Its weight was somewhere near sixty pounds.

 

"When we arrived at Iowa City, the great out-fitting point for the emigration, we found that three hand-cart companies had already gone forward, under the respective captaincy of Edmund Ellsworth, Daniel McArthur, and —— Bunker, all Valley elders returning from missions to England. These companies reached Salt Lake City in safety before cold weather set in.^[1] No carts being ready for us, nor indeed anything necessary for our journey, we were detained three weeks at Iowa Camp, where we could celebrate the Fourth of July.

"A few days after this we started on our journey, organized as follows: James G. Willie, captain of the company, which numbered about five hundred. Each hundred had a sub-captain, thus: first, Millen Atwood; second, Levi Savage; third, William Woodward; fourth, John Chislett; fifth, —— Ahmensen. The third hundred were principally Scotch; the fifth, Scandinavians. The other hundreds were mostly English. To each hundred there were five round tents, with twenty persons to a tent; twenty ​hand-carts, or one to every five persons; and one Chicago wagon, drawn by three yoke of oxen, to haul provisions and tents. Each person was limited to seventeen pounds of clothing and bedding, making eighty-five pounds of luggage to each cart. To this were added such cooking utensils as the little mess of five required. But their cuisine being scanty, not many articles were needed, and I presume the average would not exceed fifteen to twenty pounds, making in all a little over a hundred pounds on each cart. The carts being so poorly made, could not be laden heavily, even had the people been able to haul them.

"The strength of the company was equalized as much as possible by distributing the young men among the different families to help them. Several carts were drawn by young girls exclusively; and two tents were occupied by them and such females as had no male companions. The other tents were occupied by families and some young men; all ages and conditions being found in one tent. Having been thrown closely together on shipboard, all seemed to adapt themselves to this mode of tent-life without any marked repugnance.

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Passing through Iowa.

"As we travelled along, we presented a singular, and sometimes an affecting appearance. The young and strong went along gaily with their carts, but the old people and little children were to be seen straggling a long distance in the rear. Sometimes, when the little folks had walked as far as they could, their fathers would take them on their carts, and thus increase the load that was already becoming too heavy as the day advanced. But what will parents not do to benefit their children in time of trouble? The most affecting scene, however, was to see a mother carrying her child at the breast, mile after mile, until nearly exhausted. The heat was intense, and the dust suffocating, which rendered our daily journeys toilsome in the extreme.

​"Our rations consisted of ten ounces of flour to each adult per day, and half that amount to children under eight years of age. Besides our flour we had occasionally a little rice, sugar, coffee, and bacon. But these items (especially the last) were so small and infrequent that they scarcely deserve mentioning. Any hearty man could eat his daily allowance for breakfast. In fact, some of our men did this, and then worked all day without dinner, and went to bed supperless or begged food at the farmhouses as we travelled along.

"The people in Iowa were very good in giving to those who asked food, expressing their sympathy for us whenever they visited our camp—which they did in large numbers if we stopped near a settlement. They tried to dissuade us from going to Salt Lake in that way, and offered us employment and homes among them. A few of our company left us from time to time; but the elders constantly warned us against 'the Gentiles,' and by close watching succeeded in keeping the company tolerably complete. Meetings were held nearly every evening for preaching, counsel, and prayer; the chief feature of the preaching being, 'obey your leaders in all things.'

"I do not know who settled the amount of our rations, but whoever it was, I should like him, or them, to drag a hand-cart through the State of Iowa in the month of July on exactly the same amount and quality of fare we had. This would be but simple justice. The Scripture says: 'Whatsoever measure ye mete shall be measured to you again.'

"When we travelled in this impoverished manner through Iowa, flour was selling at three cents per pound, and bacon seven to eight cents. The Church agents were, no doubt, short of money; but, where was the wisdom in sending forward so many people when the preparations were altogether inadequate for them? Would it not have been better to have brought over fewer emigrants with some small degree of comfort, than to have brought so many and have deprived them of the merest necessities of life?

"A little less than four weeks' travelling brought us to the Missouri river. We crossed it on a steam ferry-boat, and encamped at the town of Florence,^[2] Nebraska, six miles above Omaha, where we remained about a week, making our final preparations for crossing the plains.

"The elders seemed to be divided in their judgment as to the practicability of our reaching Utah in safety at so late a season of the year, and the idea was entertained for a day or two of making our winter quarters on the Elkhorn, Wood river, or some eligible location in Nebraska; but it did not meet with general approval. A monster meeting was called to consult the people about it.

"The emigrants were entirely ignorant of the country and climate—simple, honest, eager to go to 'Zion' at once, and obedient as little children to the 'servants of God.' Under these circumstances it was natural ​that they should leave their destinies in the hands of the elders. There were but four men in our company who had been to the valley, viz.: Willie, Atwood, Savage, and Woodward; but there were several at Florence superintending the emigration, among whom elders G. D. Grant and W. H. Kimball occupied the most prominent position. These men all talked at the meeting just mentioned, and all, with one exception, favoured going on. They prophesied in the name of God that we should get through in safety. Were we not God's people, and would he not protect us? Even the elements he would arrange for our good, etc. But Levi Savage used his common sense and his knowledge of the country. He declared positively that to his certain knowledge we could not cross the mountains with a mixed company of aged people, women, and little children, so late in the, season without much suffering, sickness, and death. He therefore advised going into winter quarters without delay; but he was rebuked by the other elders for want of faith, one elder even declaring that he would guarantee to eat all the snow that fell on us between Florence and Salt Lake City. Savage was accordingly defeated, as the majority were against him. He then added: 'Brethren and sisters, what I have said I know to be true; but, seeing you are to go forward, I will go with you, will help you all I can, will work with you, will rest with you, will suffer with you, and, if necessary, I will die with you. May God in his mercy bless and preserve us. Amen.'

"Brother Savage was true to his word; no man worked harder than he to alleviate the suffering which he had foreseen, when he had to endure it. Oh, had the judgment of this one clear-headed man been heeded, what scenes of suffering, wretchedness, and death would have been prevented! But he was overwhelmed with the religious fanaticism and blind faith of others who thought the very elements would be changed or influenced to suit us, and that the seasons would be transposed for our accommodation because we, forsooth, were 'the people of God!'"

PART II.

THE JOURNEY ACROSS THE PLAINS.

"We started from Florence about the 18th of August, and travelled in the same way as through Iowa, except that our carts were more heavily laden, as our teams could not haul sufficient flour to last us to Utah; it was therefore decided to put one sack (ninety-eight pounds) on each cart in addition to the regular baggage. Some of the people grumbled at this, but the majority bore it without a murmur. Our flour ration was increased to a pound per day; fresh beef was issued occasionally, and each 'hundred' had three or four milch cows. The flour on the carts was used first, the weakest parties being the first relieved of their burdens.

"Everything seemed to be propitious, and we moved gaily forward full of hope and faith. At our camp each evening could be heard songs of joy, merry peals of laughter, and bon mots on our condition and pros​pects. Brother Savage's warning was forgotten in the mirthful ease of the hour. The only drawbacks to this part of our journey were the constant breaking down of carts and the delays caused by repairing them. The axles and boxes being of wood, and being ground out by the dust that found its way there in spite of our efforts to keep it out, together with the extra weight put on the carts, had the effect of breaking the axles at the shoulder. All kinds of expedients were resorted to as remedies for the rowing evil, but with variable success. Some wrapped their axles with leather obtained from boot-legs; others with tin, obtained by sacrificing tin-plates, kettles, or buckets from their mess outfit. Besides these inconveniences, there was felt a great lack of a proper lubricator. Of anything suitable for this purpose we had none at all. The poor folks had to use their bacon (already totally insufficient for their wants) to grease their axles, and some even used their soap, of which they had very little, to make their carts trundle somewhat easier. In about twenty days, however, the flour being consumed, breakdowns became less frequent, and we jogged along finely. We travelled from ten to twenty miles per day, averaging about fifteen miles. The people felt well, so did our cattle, and our immediate prospects of a prosperous journey were good. But the fates seemed to be against us.

"About this time we reached Wood river. The whole country was alive with buffaloes, and one night—or, rather, evening—our cattle stampeded. Men went in pursuit and collected what they supposed to be the herd; but, on corralling them for yoking next morning, thirty head were missing. We hunted for them three days in every direction, but did not find them. We at last reluctantly gave up the search, and prepared to travel without them as best we could. We had only about enough oxen left to put one yoke to each wagon; but, as they were each loaded with about three thousand pounds of flour, the teams could not of course move them. We then yoked up our beef cattle, milch cows, and, in fact, everything that could bear a yoke—even two-year old heifers. The stock was wild and could pull but little, and we were unable, with all our stock, to move our loads. As a last resort we again loaded a sack of flour on each cart.

"The patience and faith of the good honest people were shaken somewhat by this (to them) hard stroke of Providence. Some complained openly; others, less demonstrative, chewed the bitter cud of discontent; while the greater part saw the 'hand of the Lord' in it. The belief that we were the spiritual favourites of the Almighty, and that he would control everything for our good, soon revived us after our temporary despondency, and in a day or two faith was as assuring as ever with the pilgrims. But our progress was slow, the old breakdowns were constantly repeated, and some could not refrain from murmuring in spite of the general trustfulness. It was really hard for the folks to lose the use of their milch cows, have beef rations stopped, and haul one hundred pounds more on their carts. Every man and woman, however, worked to their utmost to put forward towards the goal of their hopes.

​"One evening, as we were camped on the west bank of the North Bluff Fork of the Platte, a grand outfit of carriages and light wagons was driven into our camp from the East. Each vehicle was drawn by four horses or mules, and all the appointments seemed to be first rate. The occupants we soon found to be the apostle F. D. Richards, elders W. H. Kimball, G. D. Grant, Joseph A. Young, C. G. Webb, N. H. Felt, W. C. Dunbar, and others who were returning to Utah from missions abroad. They camped with us for the night, and in the morning a general meeting was called. Apostle Richards addressed us. He had been advised of the opposition brother Savage had made, and he rebuked him very severely in open meeting for his lack of faith in God. Richards gave us plenty of counsel to be faithful, prayerful, obediert to our leaders, etc., and wound up by prophesying in the name of Israel's God that 'though it might storm on our right and on our left, the Lord would keep open our way before us and we should get to Zion in safety.' This assurance had a telling effect on the people—to them it was 'the voice of God.' They gave a loud and hearty 'Amen,' while tears of joy ran down their sunburnt cheeks.

"These brethren told Captain Willie they wanted some fresh meat, and he had our fattest calf killed for them. I am ashamed for humanity's sake to say they took it. While we, four hundred in number, travelling so slowly and so far from home, with our mixed company of men, women, children, aged, sick, and infirm people, had no provisions to spare, had not enough for ourselves, in fact, these 'elders in Israel,' these 'servants of God,' took from us what we ourselves so greatly needed and went on in style with their splendid outfit, after preaching to us faith, patience, prayerfulness, and obedience to the priesthood. As they rolled out of our camp I could not, as I contrasted our positions and circumstances, help exclaiming to myself: 'Look on this picture, and on that!'

"We broke camp at once and turned towards the river, the apostle having advised us to go on to the south side. He and his company preceded us and waited on the opposite bank to indicate to us the best fording place. They stood and watched us wade the river—here almost a mile in width, and in places from two to three feet deep. Our women and girls waded, pulling their carts after them.

"The apostle promised to leave us provisions, bedding, etc., at Laramie if he could, and to secure us help from the valley as soon as possible.

"We reached Laramie about the 1st or 2d of September, but the provisions, etc., which we expected were not there for us. Captain Willie called a meeting to take into consideration our circumstances, condition, and prospects, and to see what could be done. It was ascertained that at our present rate of travel and consumption of flour, the latter would be exhausted when we were about three hundred and fifty miles from our destination! It was resolved to reduce our allowance from one pound to three-quarters of a pound per day, and at the same time to make every effort in our power to travel faster. We continued this rate of rations, from Laramie to Independence Rock.

​"About this time Captain Willie received a letter from apostle Richards informing him that we might expect supplies to meet us from the valley by the time we reached South Pass. An examination of our stock of flour showed us that it would be gone before we reached that point. Our only alternative was to still further reduce our bill of fare. The issue of flour was then to average ten ounces per day to each person over ten years of age, and to be divided thus: working-men to receive twelve ounces, women and old men nine ounces, and children from four to eight ounces, according to age and size.

"This arrangement dissatisfied some, especially men with families; for so far they had really done better than single men, the children's rations being some help to them. But, taken altogether, it was as good a plan as we could have adopted under the circumstances.

"Many of our men showed signs of failing, and to reduce their rations below twelve ounces would have been suicidal to the company, seeing they had to stand guard at night, wade the streams repeatedly by day to get the women and children across, erect tents, and do many duties which women could not do.

"Our captain did his utmost to move us forward and always acted with great impartiality. The sub-captains had plenty of work, too, in seeing that rations were fairly divided, equally distributing the strength of their hundreds, helping the sick and the weakly, etc.

"We had not travelled far up the Sweetwater before the nights, which had gradually been getting colder since we left Laramie, became very. severe. The mountains before us, as we approached nearer to them, revealed themselves to view mantled nearly to their base in snow, and tokens of a coming storm were discernible in the clouds which each day seemed to lower around us. In our frequent crossings of the Sweetwater, we had really 'a hard road to travel.' The water was beautiful to the eye, as it rolled over its rocky bed as clear as crystal; but when we waded it time after time at each ford to get the carts, the women, and the children over, the beautiful stream, with its romantic surroundings (which should awaken holy and poetic feelings in the soul, and draw it nearer to the Great Author of life), lost to us its beauty, and the chill which it sent through our systems drove out from our minds all holy and devout aspirations, and left a void, a sadness, and—in some cases—doubts as to the justice of an overruling Providence.

"Our seventeen pounds of clothing and bedding was now altogether insufficient for our comfort. Nearly all suffered more or less at night from cold. Instead of getting up in the morning strong, refreshed, vigorous, and prepared for the hardships of another day of toil, the poor 'Saints' were, to be seen crawling out from their tents looking haggard, benumbed, and showing an utter lack of that vitality so necessary to our success.

"Cold weather, scarcity of food, lassitude and fatigue from over-exertion, soon produced their effects. Our old and infirm people began to droop, and they no sooner lost spirit and courage than death's stamp could ​be traced upon their features. Life went out as smoothly as a lamp ceases to burn when the oil is gone. At first the deaths occurred slowly and irregularly, but in a few days at more frequent intervals, until we soon thought it unusual to leave a camp-ground without burying one or more persons.

"Death was not long confined in its ravages to the old and infirm, but the young and naturally strong were among its victims. Men who were, so to speak, as strong as lions when we started on our journey, and who had been our best supports, were compelled to succumb to the grim monster. These men were worn down by hunger, scarcity of clothing and bedding, and too much labour in helping their families. Weakness and debility were accompanied by dysentery. This we could not stop or even alleviate, no proper medicines being in the camp; and in almost every instance it carried off the parties attacked. It was surprising to an unmarried man to witness the devotion of men to their families and to their faith, under these trying circumstances. Many a father pulled his cart, with his little children on it, until the day preceding his death. I have seen some pull their carts in the morning, give out during the day, and die before next morning. These people died with the calm faith and fortitude of martyrs. Their greatest regret seemed to be leaving their families behind them, and their bodies on the plains or mountains instead of being laid in the consecrated ground of Zion. The sorrow and mourning of the bereaved, as they saw their husbands and fathers rudely interred, were affecting in the extreme, and none but a heart of stone could repress a tear of sympathy at the sad spectacle.^[3]

"Each death weakened our forces. In my hundred I could not raise enough men to pitch a tent when we encamped, and now it was that I ​had to exert myself to the utmost. I wonder I did not die, as many did who were stronger than I was. When we pitched our camp in the evening of each day, I had to lift the sick from the wagon and carry them to the fire, and in the morning carry them again on my back to the wagon. When any in my hundred died I had to inter them; often helping to dig the grave myself. In performing these sad offices I always offered up a heartfelt prayer to that God who beheld our sufferings, and begged him to avert destruction from us and send us help.

PART III.

FEARFUL SUFFERINGS: THE RAVAGES OF STARVATION, DISEASE, AND DEATH.

"We travelled on in misery and sorrow day after day. Sometimes we made a pretty good distance, but at other times we were only able to make a few miles' progress. Finally we were overtaken by a snow-storm which the shrill wind blew furiously about us. The snow fell several inches deep as we travelled along, but we dared not stop, for we had a sixteen-mile journey to make, and short of it we could not get wood and water.

"As we were resting for a short time at noon a light wagon was driven into our camp from the west. Its occupants were Joseph A. Young^[4] and Stephen Taylor. They informed us that a train of supplies was on the way, and we might expect to meet it in a day or two. More welcome messengers never came from the courts of glory than these two young men were to us. They lost no time after encouraging us all they could to press forward, but sped on further east to convey their glad news ​to Edward Martin and the fifth hand-cart company who left Florence about two weeks after us, and who it was feared were even worse off than we were. As they went from our view, many a hearty 'God bless you' followed them.

"We pursued our journey with renewed hope and after untold toil and fatigue, doubling teams frequently, going back to fetch up the straggling carts, and encouraging those who had dropped by the way to a little more exertion in view of our soon-to-be improved condition, we finally, late at night, got all to camp—the wind howling frightfully and the snow eddying around us in fitful gusts. But we had found a good camp among the willows, and after warming and partially drying ourselves before good fires, we ate our scanty fare, paid our usual devotions to the Deity and retired to rest with hopes of coming aid.

"In the morning the snow was over a foot deep. Our cattle strayed widely during the storm, and some of them died. But what was worse to us than all this was the fact that five persons of both sexes lay in the cold embrace of death. The pitiless storm and the extra march of the previous day had been too much for their wasted energies, and they had passed through the dark valley to the bright world beyond. We buried these five people in one grave, wrapped only in the clothing and bedding in which they died. We had no materials with which to make coffins, and even if we had, we could not have spared time to make them, for it required all the efforts of the healthy few who remained to perform the ordinary camp duties and to look after the sick—the number of whom increased daily on our hands, notwithstanding so many were dying.

"The morning before the storm, or, rather, the morning of the day on which it came, we issued the last ration of flour. On this fatal morning, therefore, we had none to issue. We had, however, a barrel or two of hard bread which Captain Willie had procured at Fort Laramie in view of our destitution. This was equally and fairly divided among all the company. Two of our poor broken-down cattle were killed and their carcasses issued for beef. With this we were informed that we would have to subsist until the coming supplies reached us. All that now remained in our commissary were a few pounds each of sugar and dried apples, about a quarter of a sack of rice and a small quantity (possibly 20 or 25 lbs.) of hard bread. The brother who had been our commissary all the way from Liverpool had not latterly acted in a way to merit the confidence of the company; but it is hard to handle provisions and suffer hunger at the same time, so I will not write a word of condemnation. These few scanty supplies were on this memorable morning turned over to me by Captain Willie, with strict injunctions to distribute them only to the sick and to mothers for their hungry children, and even to them in as sparing a manner as possible. It was an unenviable place to occupy, a hard duty to perform; but I acted to the best of my ability, using all the discretion I could.

"Being surrounded by snow a foot deep, out of provisions, many of ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/358 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/359 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/360 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/361 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/362 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/363 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/364 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/365 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/366 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/367 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/368 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/369 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/370 ​Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/371 ​flour, but of meat they had enough, such as it was. The weather was intensely cold; the snow fell deep, and the wolves soon began to make sad havoc among the poor stock, and what the wolves spared the season threatened to kill. The remainder was therefore driven up, killed, and the meat frozen. A United States mail came up from the East, but could take their mud wagons no further, so the men left them and started again with packed mules, but they could not travel, and returned to the Platte Bridge. This I mention to show that no provisions could reach the Devil's Gate.

"The flour was soon consumed, and meat without salt was the only article of food, and even that began to run short. About this time Jones and another man took the only two horses that were left—all the rest had died—and started for Platte Bridge to try and obtain some supplies. The first night out the wolves killed one horse, and the other was not seen until spring; so they returned empty-handed and on foot. There was very little game, and only a buffalo, a deer, and a few rabbits were shot. Finally the meat was consumed; then the hides were eaten, as also all the hide wrapped round the wheels of the hand-carts, and every scrap about the wagons and the neck-piece of the buffalo-skin, which had already done service as a doormat for two months. In the spring they subsisted on thistle roots, segoes, and a species of wild garlic, until flour came down from Salt Lake. But, to cut a long story short, the twenty men eventually got safely through; terribly emaciated it is true, but still safely.

"Such was the ending of the 'divine plan' for emigrating the poor in the year 1856."

The story of the hand-cart expedition has now been partially told, and that for the first time, to the public, for no pen can ever fully trace nor pencil picture the sufferings of that poor, devoted people. It would melt the hardest heart to listen to the personal recitals of that horrible journey which in moments of confidence the sufferers relate to their friends. One of the elders, whose pen was the most potent in England in urging the poor to emigrate by hand-carts, and who in the honest sincerity of his faith confided implicitly in the inspiration of apostles and prophets, was destined to witness and share in the deepest of that suffering. Of the intensity of the cold which the last company endured, his story is almost incredible. Men and women sitting on a wagon-tongue, on the ground, or leaning against their fragile carts while eating their scanty fare would in an instant die without an evidence of coming change. With a morsel of bread or biscuit in their hands, nearing it to their mouths, could be seen men, hale​looking and apparently strong, stiff in death. Such scenes can hardly be imagined by those who did not witness them, but to the hundreds of men and women who had fled from "merry England" to escape the destruction which they were taught was coming upon the Gentile nations, what a commentary was there upon the predictions of men who claimed to be the inspired servants of the most high God, in that bitter struggle for life.

But the reader will justly inquire—What was the sequel to the hand-cart story, and how was it understood in Utah?

When the news reached Brigham Young, as already stated, he did all that man could do to save the remnant and relieve the sufferers. Never in his whole career did he shine so gloriously in the eyes of the people. There was nothing spared that he could contribute or command. In the Tabernacle he was "the Lion of the Lord," and "his fierce anger was kindled" against those whom he supposed were the cause of the calamity.

The apostle Richards was at once chosen as the victim of his wrath, and upon him and his counsellor, elder Daniel Spencer, he spent the fury of his soul. When Brigham is aroused he thinks of nothing but the annihilation of his enemy. A more humble, devoted worshipper of Brigham never breathed than the apostle Richards had been; at Brigham's word he would have licked the dust of his feet, and to carry out the purposes of his prophet he would have travelled to the ends of the earth, or would have joyfully given his life to shield him from harm. By nature F. D. Richards is a kind, good man, with more love and devotion than are good for him, and it was in his pride to make Brigham great in carrying out the "divine plan" that he had aroused the poor Mormons in Europe to emigrate in greater numbers than he had at last the capacity to control and direct. He counted upon the aid of a brother apostle—John Taylor—then at New York, which he appears not to have received in the way that he expected, and, that failing him, the doom of the hand-cart scheme became a certainty.

Blinded, it is charged, by pride and selfishness, neither of ​these apostles foresaw the distant results of this misunderstanding, or neither of them would have risked the consequences; but there was a valuable lesson in store for both, and still more important instruction for the Mormons.

The agency of the Mormon emigration at that time was a very profitable appointment. With this department attached to the Liverpool publishing office, the presidency of the British mission was always coveted by the apostles. It afforded many "opportunities"^[5] of replenishing the family purse.

By arrangement with ship-brokers at Liverpool, a commission of half a guinea per head was allowed the agent for every adult emigrant that he sent across the Atlantic, and the railroad companies in New York allowed a percentage on every emigrant ticket, and some abatement was also made on the freight of extra baggage in favour of the agent. But a still larger revenue was derived from the outfitting on the frontiers. The agents purchased all the cattle, wagons, tents, wagon-covers, flour, cooking utensils, stoves, and the staple articles for a three months' journey across the plains, and from them the Saints supplied themselves. Many a good editorial was writ-. ten and sermon preached upon the blessings of unity and accumulative purchases, and "no one could be regarded as in good standing in the Church" who would sail by other ships, or travel by other direction than that prescribed by the Church.

At the date of the hand-cart expedition, the apostle Richards was president of the Church throughout all Europe. He was also a director of the Perpetual Emigration Fund Organization, and to him was entrusted the financial management of the entire European emigration of that year from Liverpool to Salt Lake. The apostle Taylor was at that time presiding over the Mormons in the Eastern and New England States, with New York for his head-quarters. By ordination, the apostle at New York took precedence of the apostle at Liverpool, and it is presumed entertained the idea that the arrangements for the ​passage of the emigrants through the States on to the frontiers should be under his direction. The apostle at Liverpool could not see things in that light—he only wanted the influence and assistance of the apostle at New York, but nothing more, and thus each misunderstood the other's position. Even inspired apostles may fail in attaining unity of purpose when the subject under consideration is the "almighty dollar."

The early months of 1856 passed away while the two apostles stood upon their dignity and arrived at no understanding, though each doubtless thought that he was right. New York waited for some request from Liverpool, and Liverpool waited with great anxiety for items of information from New York; "brother Franklin " was nearly crazy because he could not hear from "brother John," and "brother John" was perfectly innocent of thinking that "brother Franklin" wanted to hear from him at all.

After so many promises being made "in the name of the Lord" for the success of the "divine plan," it seems strange that it did not occur to Franklin to get "the Lord" to touch the intellect of John and bring them to an understanding. How contemptible appear ail the promises that "the Lord" would still the winds and the waves, would change the seasons and cause the snow to fall on the right hand and on the left for the safety of the emigrants going to Zion, while the same "Lord," whose words had been pledged thousands of times to the poor Saints, was powerless to touch either of his own apostles and bring them to comprehend that the precious lives of thousands of persons were placed in jeopardy by their selfishness or pride!

The apostle Taylor got back first to Zion and explained his action in the matter, which then appeared satisfactory. On the arrival of the apostle Richards, Brigham attacked him in the Tabernacle, held him up to ridicule and contempt, and cursed him in the name of Israel's God. Elder Daniel Spencer, who had been the counsellor of Richards, came in for his share of the contempt and anathemas. For years after, the apostle could scarcely lift up his head; he absented himself from the public meetings and was rarely seen in times of rejoicing. His heart was crushed. He could not defend himself, for when ​once Brigham has spoken no man who values his favour dares to contradict him. For ten years Richards and Spencer were under a cloud, and silently bore their heavy grief. At length it told upon the riper years of elder Spencer, and he went to his grave a broken-hearted man, the object of much sympathy in the community. Elder Edward W. Tullidge, then one of the editors of the Utah Magazine, resolved in that periodical to tell the facts of the hand-cart story, and exonerate the apostle Richards and elder Spencer. Mr. Tullidge was in the Liverpool office editing the Millennial Star, under Richards, at the time of outfitting the emigrants, and knew that it was humanly impossible for the apostle Richards to have done more than he did, and that the whole calamity which befell the emigrants was due to the misunderstanding between the Liverpool and New York offices, as here narrated.

Brigham, by the merest accident, heard of the intended revelation in the Magazine. He sent for Mr. Godbe, the principal owner of that periodical, and, though one side of the whole edition had been worked off, the order was given to destroy it, and it was destroyed: not a copy saw daylight. It would not then do to show that Brigham had ruined an innocent man; besides, it would have been dangerous to have attacked the other.

To the apostle Richards, favours have since been shown, and he is working up again to his former prominence among the apostles; but Brigham retracts nothing, and the anathemas are left in the minds of the people. What a commentary upon Brigham's claim to the possession of "a priesthood that is infallible!"

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