Shaw River crossing

Near night we arrived at a small stream of Water about one mile from Jacksonville, where we found a paw paw brush in the road, which had been dropped as a signal for us to camp. by Dr. F. G. Williams, whom I had sent forward in the morning on horseback to select a camp ground, and watch the movements of our enemies. Here we pitched our tents.

Our enemies had threatened that we should not cross. the Illinois River, but on Monday the 2d we were ferried over without any difficulty

The ferryman counted and declared there were five hundred of us; yet our true number was only about one hundred and fifty.

Our company had <been> increased Since our departure from  Kirtland. by volunteers from different branches of the church through which we had passed. We encamped on the banks  of the river until

Camp meeting

Numbers exaggerated

I discovered that the person whose skeleton was before us <we had seen>. was a white Lamanite, a large thick set man. and a man of God. <His name was Zelph.> He was a warrior <and chieftain> under the great prophet onandagus. who as known from the hill Cumorah. on the east<ern> sea. to the Rocky Mountains.

this Baptist Priest treated Brother Luke Johnson with great politeness. gave him his dinner. his wife washed his stockings, gave him letters of introduction to men in Jackson County delivered to his charge some letters which he had received from Jackson County which brother Luke brought into the Camp.

Continuing our Journey on the 4th we Encamped on the banks of the Mississippi River. At this place we were somewhat afflicted and our enemies strongly threatened that we should not cross over into missouri. The river begin nearly one & an half miles wide. and having but one ferry boat, it took two days for us to cross pass over

While at this place Sylvester Smith rebelled against the order of the [484] Company, and gave vent to his feelings against myself in particular.

and <On [two canceled words] Saturday the 7th one of the camp walked on ahead>

and were taught the sword exercise by brother <William> Cherry (who was a native of Ireland) an expert drill master, who had been in the British Dragoon Service for upwards of twenty years and deserves much credit for his unwearied exertions for <in> imparting all he knew to the brethren, this was the our first attempt of the brethren at learning the sword exercise

here brother James Foster was taken sick I proposed to him to remain behind, he said “brother Joseph, let me  go with you if I die on the Road.” I told him I the name of the Lord that if that was his faith to go on his bed in the waggon, and he should get better every day until he recovered. which was literally fulfilled.

Lucas resigned, Pitcher arrested

[490] June 12th we left Salt River. and travelled about 14. miles. encamping that night on the prairie. The inhabitants of Salt River <[two canceled words]> manifested a great respect for us. and many of them accompanied us some distance on our journey.

Saturday 14 brother Joseph Hancock, and another of the brethren were chased a considerable portion of the day by four suspicious fellows on horseback armed with Guns, whom they eluded by travelling in the brush and thickets where horsemen could not ride. it was late when they returned to the Camp—

Monday 16 Travelled to, ferried over, and encamped on the bank of Grand River. the Ferryman intended charging seventeen dollars, the brethren said they would not pay it, but would sooner make a raft and ferry themselves over, he then agreed to take them over for twelve dollars which we accepted.

This morning was excessively hot, no air stirring, and travelling in the thick woods, a thunder shower coming on, the brethren caught all the water they could on the brims of their hats, and not catching enough to satisfy their thirst they drank out of the horse tracks

Martin Harris having boasted to the brethren that he could handle snakes with perfect safety, while fooling with a black snake with his bare feet, he received a bite on his left foot it was communicated to me, and I took occasion to reprove him, and exhort the brethren never to trifle with the promises of God. I told them it was presumption for any one to provoke a serpent to bite him, but if a man of God was accidentally bitten by a poisonous serpent, he might have faith, or his brethren might have faith for him, so that the Lord would hear his prayer and he might be healed—but when a man designedly provokes a serpent to bite him, the principle is the same, as when a man drinks deadly poison knowing it to be such—in that case no man has any claim on the promises of God to be healed.

They went to the ferry and undertook to cross the Missouri River, after dusk, and the angel of God saw fit to sink the boat, about the middle of the river, and seven out of twelve that attempted to cross, were drowned.

Owens saved his life only, after floating four<teen> miles down stream, where he lodged upon an island, "swam off naked about day light, borrowed a mantle to hide his shame. and slipped home rather shy of the vengeance of God."

I proposed to get some wood and water, <to> carry with us, and go on the Prairie 8 or 10 miles

my brother Hyrum said he knew in the name of the Lord. that it was best to go on to the Prairie, and as he was my Elder Brother I thought best to heed his counsel, though some were murmuring in the Camp. we accordingly started.

When Lyman Wight crossed the River. he disapproved of our moving on to the  Prairie, upon which Sylvester Smith who had been appointed adjutant of the Camp, placed himself in the road, turned back all  that he could by saying “are you following your General or some other man” and some twenty staid behind with Lyman Wight.

this day my health was  so poor, I left the affairs of the Camp to the management of General Wight—

our breakfast consisted entirely of Corn Meal Mush, or hasty pudding. we had not meal enough in our Company to make the mush of the consistence of good starch, after our ten oclock breakfast we passed on to within one mile of Richmond.

we encamped in a very small prairie surrounded by a thicket of hazel brush. when I arrived. where the camp had pitched their tents and viewed our unsafe location.

considering the danger of an attack from our enemies, I almost forgot my sickness, went some distance in the brush, bowed down and prayed my heavenly Father to suffer no evil to come upon us, but keep us safely thro’ the night.

I obtained an assurance that we should be safe until morning, notwithstanding about 50 of the Jackson County Mob crossed the Lexington Ferry that evening for the purpose of joining the Ray County mob, and of making an attack upon us. all was quiet I the camp thro’ the night.

while the brethren were making their bed in captain Brigham Young’s tent, one of them discovered a very Musical Rattle Snake which they were  about to kill,  Captain Young told them no to hurt him but carry him out of the tent, when brother Carpenter took him in his hands and carried him beyond all danger, and left him to enjoy his liberty. telling him not to return.

we halted for breakfast on an eminence near a Farm House. the owner furnished us with a large quantity of milk, which gave a great relish to our Bacon and corn Dodger, which our commissary had procured that morning, when we asked the price of his milk he replied “he is a mean man that will sell  milk, I could have let you had more, if I had known you had been coming,” he further said “you have many enemies about here, and you may meet with some trouble, and it is a damd  shame that every man cant come up and enjoy his religion, and every thing else without begin molested. it was near noon when we finished our breakfast, and we passed on in fine Spirits,—

determined to go thro’ and meet the brethren in Clay County, we travelled but a short distance when one waggon broke down; and the wheels ran off from others, and there seemed to be many things to hinder our progress, altho’ we strove with all diligence to speed our way forward.

This night we camped on an elevated piece of land, between Little fishing and Big fishing Rivers, which was formed by seven small streams or branches.

Soon after <When> the<se> five men left <were in> our camp Swearing vengeance, we discovered a small black cloud rising in the west, and in twenty minutes, or thereabouts, it began to rain and hail, and this was the squall that troubled the Jackson boat. <the wind, thunder, and rising cloud indicated an approaching storm, and in a short time after they left, the rain and hail began to fall>

The storm was tremendous, Wind and rain, hail and thunder met them in great wrath, and soon softened their direful courage, and frustrated all their design[s] to "kill Jo Smith and his army."

was killed by lightning, and that another had his hand torn off. by his horse drawing his hand through between the door <logs of a corn crib>, while he was holding him on the inside, and they declared “that if that was the way, God fought for the God damd mormons, they might as well go home about their business.”

Friday the 20th. we went five miles on the prairie to <where we could> procure food for ourselves and horses. and establish ourselves for the moment, in some secure place where we could defend ourselves from the rage of our enemies, and while

making certain Enquiries. to which we replied; which were afterwards published and will appear under date of publication.