179 Elias Smith was chosen clerk and historian, and Jonathan H. Hale treasurer.
"On the 5th of July they met about a quarter of a mile south of the Lord's house and pitched their tents in form of a hollow square.
"On the 6th, at noon, they struck their tents and began to move toward the south, and in thirty minutes the whole camp was under motion, consisting of five hundred and fifteen souls-two hundred and forty-nine males, two hundred and sixty-six females, twenty-seven tents, fifty-nine wagons, ninety-seven horses, twenty-two oxen, sixty-nine cows, and one bull. Jonathan Dunham was engineer. The camp traveled to Chester, seven miles, the first day, and pitched their tents in the form of a hollow square formed by their wagons.
"This day I received a letter from Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde, dated at Kirtland, Ohio, expressive of their good feelings, firmness in the faith, prosperity, etc. Also another letter from my brother, as follows:-
"'Nine miles from Terre Haute, Indiana.
"'Brother Joseph:--I sit down to inform you of our situation at the present time. I started from Norton, Ohio, the 7th of May, in company with Father, William, Jenkins Salisbury, William McClary, and Lewis Robbins, and families, also Sister Singly. We started with fifteen horses, seven wagons, and two cows. We have left two horses by the way sick, and a third horse (as it were our dependence) was taken same last evening, and is not able to travel, and we have stopped to doctor him. We were disappointed on every hand before we started in getting money. We got no assistance whatever, only as we have taken in Sister Singly, and she has assisted us as far as her means extended. We had when we started $75.00 in money. We sold the two cows for $13.50 per cow. We have sold of your goods to the amount of $45.74, and now we have only $25.00 to carry twenty-eight souls and thirteen horses five hundred miles.
"'We have lived very close and camped out at night, notwithstanding the rain and cold, and my babe only two weeks
(page 179) |