"I found them in much better health," Woodruff said. He fixed a bed to the inside of his carriage for both of them and said "it was the coziest vehicle in camp."
Brigham's party then traveled back to the main body, and arrived around noon. The Saints were glad to have back their dynamic leader.
"The president is much better," Clayton said. Norton Jacob commented that Young and Rockwood "appeared very cheerful and quite comfortable."
What the Main Body did Before Noon:
 |
| Norton Jacob |
 |
| John Pack |
Later, Jacob, George A. Smith, and Albert Carrington climbed the mountain ridge to survey the area, and reported much "scrub oak and saw large quantities of pine."
After Brigham's Arrival:
 |
| Albert Carrington Early Apostle Editor of Deseret News |
 |
| George A. Smith (1817-1875) Son of John Smith (Joseph's uncle) Cousin to Prophet Joseph Grandpa to prophet George Albert Smith |
More rain showers dampened their trek, so their travel only lasted a few hours, and a four-mile march. Camp was established by the spring of "good, cold, clear water."
Their campsite was at the foot of massive red bluffs, less than a mile from the later Castle Rock Station of the Union Pacific Railroad. It was a pretty area. Thomas Bullock commented, "I was able to gather seven varieties of flowers within 20 yards of my wagon."
 |
| Castle Rock and the train today. Near the mouth of Echo Canyon. |
The Advance Party:
To re-cap, the advance party left the main company to scout ahead. They had two main priorities:
1) Find the best path to Salt Lake City,
2) Make the trail as easy as possible (by digging up tree stumps, removing rocks, and smoothing the ground).
They were being lead by Orson Pratt. Today, they crossed the Weber River (near present-day Henefer, UT) and made camp. They had done their best to follow the tracks of the Donner party a year prior, but "grass had obliterated all traces."
 |
| Henefer, Utah |
"We travelled 6 miles," Pratt said, noting that the Weber River flowed into a canyon impassable for wagons. He and John Brown rode ahead to search for any sign of the Donner Party's trail.
 |
| Weber River in Henefer, UT |
Willows surrounded the area, "making very close thickets for bears," he said. Pratt found many bear tracks, large holes, and claw marks, and concluded that bears must "be very numerous, but none have been seen."
**Some notable men in the advance party were John Sunderlin Eldredge and Green Flake.
 |
| John Eldredge After crossing the plains at 26 years old, he served a mission in Australia. On the way home, his ship wrecked on a coral reef; five died. Twenty-nine other mormons were with him, and they spent weeks on an uninhabited island until rescued. He died at 52, in Wasatch County. |
 |
| Green Flake Twenty-two years old as a pioneer, he was the first African-American to enter the Salt Lake Valley. Born a slave in North Carolina. His "owners" joined the LDS church, and later, he decided to become baptized too. He crossed the plains before his master to create a home for the family. However, Master Flake died in a farming accident, and his widow gave Green as a tithing offering before moving to California (appalling, but he was still considered "property"). He worked for the Church for two-years, and then Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball granted him his freedom. He married, lived in Fort Union (7200 So. 900 E.), became a fruit farmer and a leader to his community. |
 |
| This is what Fort Union Blvd used to be: an actual fort. It was a community with walls to protect them from Indian attacks. |
No comments:
Post a Comment