We moved from Kainsville where we had spent the winter, early spring of 1846, up onto the headwaters of Little Pigeon where there was a large beautiful spring. Conditions were more favorable here where we located and father, with the help of Levi Hammon, Daniel Smith and the boys built a house. We arrived here early enough in the spring to plow and plant four or five acres of corn and garden.

Levi Hammon, who had been with us continually since 1843 at Nauvoo, did not move with us to the headwaters of the Little Pigeon, but where we had spent the winter, near Daniel Smith.

When our work was taken care of in the spring, the corn and garden planted, and everything as well arranged as possible, Levi Hammon, with his family, my father and my brother David, went down to Missouri with their wagons and teams to get work. Our home life was quite uneventful during father’s absence. We cared for the corn and garden as best we could, Byram and my self did about as we pleased most of the time. Levi and his family, my father and brother David spent the winter of 1846-47 in Missouri, where they were working.

After our corn was harvested, and the vegetables were gathered we moved from this location about one half mile down the creek, nearer to the home of Daniel Smith, and it proved to be our farewell to the place. Just before the corn was ready to gather, we discovered the tracks of an Indian in the field. Mother was not surprised at the news for she had heard him in the night, but said nothing about it. It was because of this that we moved nearer to Daniel Smith’s home.

At this time the name of Robert Lane, is introduced into my Father’s record, as the cousin of my father, and was about the age of father, and was with him on the Little Pigeon, and was with him when they discovered the tracks of the Indian in the cornfield. Where he came from, where his people were, how he came to be there is never mentioned.

The Indians in this locality were known as the Omahas, and while they were not particularly unfriendly, they would steal anything that was loose. If the Indian had appeared in the daytime, we would have likely have taken it as a matter of course, though our neighbors were from a mile to five miles from us.

About a quarter of a mile above our new home, on the banks of the creek was located a log house, used as a community center, for Church gatherings, dances and socials. The music for these entertainments was furnished by my brother-in-law Daniel Smith, who was a first class “fiddler” if not a violinist. School was held there five days a week. I never did attend school there, though, for I had no shoes and whenever I left the house I had to wrap my feet in rags, and other clothing was not too plentiful.

Perhaps the most cherished piece of property we owned at this time was a cow. I do not know where we got her, or how, but she was the center of our livelihood. Her food would have been a problem for us, had it not been for Daniel Smith. He allowed us to gather fodder from his cornfield, which was located across the creek and about a half-mile below us.

The creek at this place was about 5 feet deep, and just below the house we had a bridge, and under this bridge and in the bank of the stream we had dug us a cellar, and mother’s stone jar was a part of the fixtures. In the early spring a freshet of unusual size overtook us and the contents of the cellar disappeared in the flood. Mother was quite sad of the loss of it all, but especially that of the stone jar. At this time Robert Lane established himself in the family circle, and esteem of my mother by carrying the stone jar home from its landing some distance below, unharmed

In spite of the inconvenience mother managed to keep a few chickens in the yard. There were so many enemies of the breed that it took “eternal vigilance” to save even a part of them for our own use. In this connection we had our troubles with a sly red fox. He visited us so often that something had to be done, so mother told Robert Lane that if he would capture the sly old fellow, she would give him a chicken dinner. Robert set himself to the task in a business like way; mother was only to furnish a piece of broiled meat. The plan was well laid and we had promise of success before we retired the first night. Three logs were laid side by side, close together. The middle one was raised and a figure (4) was placed between the outer logs and the bait of broiled meat fastened to it, with the hope that the fox would try for the meat, and in so doing he would disturb the mechanism of the figure 4 and the log would drop to the ground between the other two logs and Mr. Fox would do well if he avoided serious injury. There was about one foot of snow on the ground at the time. In the early part of the night we heard the log fall, and there to our joy we found Mr. Fox, dead beneath the log. The pelt was removed as best we could and we tried our luck at preserving it.

Some time before the pelt was sold, for the part I played in the performance, I was promised a book, something I had never possessed. When the time came to sell the pelt, Daniel Smith took it to Kainseville, Iowa and sold it, and when he returned he had with him a “Parker's Second Reader" for me, the first book I ever owned. I was as proud as my capacity would permit, and in a few months I had memorized everything in it. Some of the writings I recall today after a lapse of seventy years. Some beautiful thoughts were expressed.

With father away in Missouri, and no man in our home to guard us and offer his guiding influence, and mother taxed to the limit at all times, it seemed this was sufficient, but along with all our cares in making a living, and trying earnestly to save enough to get us across the plains and with the body of the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley, some difficulties arose between our own United States and our neighbor, Mexico, on the South, and war was declared, already there had been a few skirmished fought in Texas. There was a large track of land in the West that belonged to Mexico and the United States wanted it. It embraced territory now included in several of our Western States. This was in 1846. Though the Saints never did receive the protection they were entitled to from our Government, they were not in the least bitter toward the Union. Even at this time they were asking aid from President James K. Poke in moving themselves to the West. The plan of the Saints at Washington was to hold the Western country for the United States, in return for what help was given.

In the month of June 1846, an officer of the United States Army came to Iowa. He was representing the Government and was there to enlist 500 men from among the Mormon people to help secure the land in question with Mexico. This was entirely new and unexpected condition of affairs. Instead of receiving aid from the Government the Saints were called upon to furnish aid to the Government.

Among the Saints this was received with some misgivings. They feared it was a conspiracy to usher in their utter destruction. They had never received any protection from Washington, but had learned to expect nothing, and everything. There was no question in the mind of President Young, however and he promised the men as soon as they could be recruited. He felt that it was a test of the loyalty of the Saints to their country. The Battalion was organized at Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Church leaders offering all the aid possible in recruiting. This work was completed in 3 days. The following from the "Founding of Utah" by Levi Edgar Young presents a vivid picture of some of the sacrifices that were made:

"Imagine the feeling of the Pioneers when they received word that the fathers and sons must enlist to go to war! The mothers of the young wept to think of the sacrifice; the young wives were brokenhearted. They did not say a word or do a thing to discourage the men. In fact, they were willing that the men should give all for their country, and they determined to place their Faith in God and suffer, and be strong. It was a time of bitter trial for the Saints and when the time came to part, the sorrow at leaving their families was almost more than the men could stand. The soldiers were poorly clad, and could they have foreseen the long journey, over desert wastes and mountain passes, we sometimes wonder if they could have met their trials. But their courage was equal to the task before them, and the men set out unafraid."

The word of this movement reached us where we were living sometime in the month of June. My brother John was then in his 18 eighteenth year and as making preparations to join the battalion, needless to say it was against the wishes of our mother, especially since father was from home and had been for nearly a year. His departure was certainly a sad affair for us, especially for mother, and I'll never forget it as long as I live.

Late in the spring of 1847 we moved again to a building nearer to Daniel Smith's home. Father was still in Missouri and we depended a lot on the kindness of Daniel, and indeed we were never disappointed, and when father returned in the fall, I think October of 1847, we were delighted, and we were sure Daniel was relieved. He was very fortunate in his work in Missouri, especially when we remember the attitude of the people in Missouri toward the Mormon people. He had an additional team of oxen, a good supply of provisions and clothing for winter.

About September of 1847 my brother John returned to us from San Diego, California where the Mormon Battalion had been disbanded. The winter of 1847-1848 found us well with the exception of my father, whose health was not good.

After the assassination of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and Brigham Young had been chosen to lead the people, active preparations was carried on for the westward movement of the Saints. We were out of communication with the main body of the Saints, but we hear often from them and endeavored to keep in touch with the changing situation, but thru it all the Saints were admonished to prepare for a home in a new and undeveloped section of our great commonwealth. Nauvoo was practically deserted in 1846. Nearly every home was engaged in making something helpful for the journey west, from wagons for transportation, to food and clothing for their bodies.

The fortunes of the Saints varied considerably during the winter of 1846-47 as they wended their way across the present state of Iowa, then only a haunt of many Indian tribes. The whole territory was filled with trails, but no roads, but the one that the Saints were to blaze was to be used for many years to come. The extreme cold of the winter caused much suffering. By the concentration of their efforts they established Winter Quarters on the west bank of the Missouri River. This location served its purpose well; for it was at this point that all the organized companies of Saints were effected for the westward migration.

Father's life long ambition to go west with the Saints failed to materialize in the year of 1847, mainly because of ill health, but after the Saints left it was always foremost in his mind to follow them to their retreat, while our conditions, generally were improving, father was fearful to undertake the trip with the equipment he had.

At this time Heber C. Kimball was one of the leading members of the Church, and was a friend of Daniel Smith. He called him his Nimrod, and was at this time was making preparations to go West with the Saints, and in his arrangements he wanted the use of two yoke of oxen and a driver to help him as far West as the upper crossing of the Sweetwater River, somewhere in the present state of Wyoming where the old Mormon Trail leaves the Sweetwater to cross the Rocky Mountains. Daniel was in Kainsville shopping when he chanced to meet Heber C. on the street and he at once asked Daniel to go for he knew he had the equipment. He told him it would be impossible for him to make the trip but that father had the necessary Oxen and wagon, and time to do the work, but advised Heber C. that father was sick in bed at the time. He asked Daniel to see Father on his return home and tell him he wanted him to come and see him at Kainsville, and this in spite of Father's illness. Reluctantly father made the trip on one of Daniel's best saddle horses named Jim. Father was prevailed upon to make the trip and when he returned home he sat about at once to make the necessary arrangements. I think he left us some time in the month of May to join Mr. Kimball in Kainsville, and about July 1, 1848 they crossed the Missouri River for Winter Quarters where Mr. Kimball’s family were waiting.

Father returned to us about the middle of September and I recall the stories of the many wonderful things he saw, especially the ones relating to the countless number of buffalo that were roaming the country along the Mormon Trail. About this time they were returning north from their winter range in the South, the buffalo being a migratory animal. They ranged, in summer as far as the Dakotas of today. Another item that impressed father was seeing the great, high tips of the Rocky Mountain peaks, above the clouds. We spent the winter of 1849-50 on Mr. Palmer's property, but due to some misunderstanding, the nature of which I do not know, we moved from there about 3 miles up the Missouri River on the property of Mr. Henry Catlit. Levi Hammon moved with us. We were engaged in burning charcoal, just as we were on the Palmer property. We made this move sometime in April in the spring of 1850 so we had the time, and did, plant some corn and garden.

Another accomplishment of Levi Hammon was that he could construct a wagon in all its parts, except it to be to “iron” it, he was a first class wheelwright and much of his time, and all his spare time was spent in building a wagon for himself and on for father. The experience of those who had made the trip to the west had taught them that the wagons were not strong enough, and were not built to withstand the rough roads and the excessive heat, and dry sands of the plains. These Levi endeavored to overcome, and in our experience of the following year we found he had succeeded very well indeed. The wagons were completed by fall and taken to St. Joseph and there they were “ironed” and made ready for the trail. We were at last creating a favorable condition for our departure to the Rocky Mountains. The ironwork on the wagons at St. Joseph was done by one Mr. Litz and paid for in charcoal by Father and Levi, and while Mr. Litz was doing that work Levi was working as a carpenter for and with Mr. Litz in St. Joseph.

Page 3