[William Clayton Journal] .... Elder Sherwood returned with them and soon after came back accompanied by the chief and his squaw who signified a wish to abide with our camp tonight. The brethren fixed up a tent for them to sleep under. Porter Rockwell made them some coffee, and they were furnished with some victuals. The old chief amused himself very much by looking at the moon through a telescope for as much as twenty minutes.... (1)
-- May 29, 1847. Saturday.
[William Clayton Journal] President Young then addressed the meeting in substance as follows:
".... The brethren say they want a little exercise to pass away time, but if you can't tire yourselves bad enough with a days journey without dancing every night, carry your guns on your shoulders, and walk, carry your wood to Camp instead of lounging and laying sleeping in your wagons, increasing the load untill your teams are tired to death and ready to drop into the earth. Help your teams over mud holes and bad places instead of lounging in your wagons and that will give you exercise enough without dancing. Well, they will play cards, they will play checkers, they will play dominoes, and if they had the privilege and were where they could get whiskey, they would be drunk half their time, and in one week they would quarrel, get to high words and draw their knives to kill each other. This is what such a course of things would lead to. Don't you know it? Yes. Well then why don't you try to put it down? I have played cards once in my life since I became a Mormon to see what k
ind of a spirit would attend it, and I was so well satisfied that I would rather see the dirtiest thing you could find on the earth, than a pack of cards in your hands... (1)
-- Jun 2, 1847. Wednesday.
[William Clayton Journal] .... A few weeks ago a party came down and stole twenty-five horses, all that they had at the Fort, although they were within 300 yards of the Fort at the time and a guard round them. The Sioux will not steal on their own land. A pair of Moccasins worth a dollar, a lariette a dollar, a pound of tobacco a dollar and a half and a gallon of whiskey $32. They have no sugar, Coffee nor spices as their spring stores have not yet arrived. They have lately sent to Fort Pierre 600 bales of Robes with 10 robes in each bale. Their wagons have been gone 45 days &c. There are about [] souls at this fort, mostly French, half-breeds and a few Sioux Indians.... (1)
-- Jun 20, 1847
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] ... We turned out our horses in good feed got supper which was Bacon, Buffalo, corn bread, coffee Milk &c then lay down upon the ground & spent the night under A tent with the Missourians but did not rest well.... (2)
-- Jun 29, 1847
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] I returned to meet the camp about 4 miles & was informed that Br Fowler was vary sick & in my carriage I went back & met him & found him in great distress in his head, back, & bones through out. He Complained bitterly of the jar of the waggon, And finally was out of his head & became wild. I did not get into camp untill near 9 oclok. I then Commenced doctoring him with composition, tea, pills &c & He soon began to get better & had a comfortable nights rest. Distance of the day 23 3/4. (2)
Footnotes:
1 - George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton
2 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom
Mormon Timeline: the Word of Wisdom
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
