Pioneer Day Countdown: July 14, 1847 (Wednesday)

Yesterday, we saw the Pioneer Company split into three bodies: the advance party (1 day ahead); the main body; Brigham's party because he was sick (1 day behind). 

Brigham's Party:

The Main body was reluctant to move forward. They didn't like the idea of moving forward without their Prophet. They decided to wait another day for their sick leader to recover and join them.

Wilford Woodruff and Barnabas Adams rode back to Brigham's camp to see how he was doing. He was "convalescent" and looking forward to joining the main body when he was well.

Barnabas Adams: quiet, soft-spoken
Canadian. He crossed the plains with
his family a 2nd time in 1848.
Settled near Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Albert Rockwood
Close friend to Joseph Smith. Rode
in the wagon with Brigham when
they entered the valley.
First game warden in Utah.

The sickest man in [Brigham's] camp was Albert Rockwood, also stricken with mountain fever, Woodruff reported. Woodruff and others joined in a special prayer for Rockwood, and were "convinced we should find him better in the morning." 







Mountain Fever continued to spread throughout the Main body. William Clayton said the fever is "very severe on the first attack, generally rendering its victims delirious for some hours, then leaving them in a weakly condition. [This required a stimulant] to break his nerves and guard against another attack."

The Main Body:

Duties continued in the camp. Dishes were washed, and the normal meals were prepared. Some men went hunting and killed five antelope for the camp. Thomas Bullock and other Saints went to Cache Cave for relief from the blazing sun. Bullock enjoyed bird watching and catching up on his journaling.

In the evening, the bugle sounded signaling the Saints to get to bed. Many men continued to talk "as usual," Bullock said, "but a sudden rain she them running to their wagons and reminded them of the fifth law of the camp (getting to bed at the sound of the bugle)."

The Advance Party:

Meanwhile, Orson Pratt's company was doing their best searching for the best route to Salt Lake City, and improve the road through the canyons. Much of their time was spent with shovels filling the ravines to make them flatter and digging up tree stumps.

The party followed a mountain stream into Echo Canyon.  Pratt described the company as "shut up in a narrow valley, 10 to 20 rods wide, while on each side the hills rise very abruptly 800 to 1200 feet. [For most of the way since leaving] we have been walled in by vertical and overhanging precipices of red stone" carved "into many curious shapes, probably by rain."

Saints at the mouth of Echo Canyon, 1865

Pratt commented that "the way was quite rough" for wagons which had to cross the same winding, canyon stream many times. However, he said the geology was "interesting and exceedingly picturesque."

An image of some pioneer Saints crossing through Echo Canyon, 1865.

Present-day Echo Canyon. Nice, paved roads.

Source: Knight and Kimball. 111 Days to Zion. Deseret News. Salt Lake City, 1978