-- Friday, Mar 27, 1846.
[Apostle Willard Richards Journal] Chariton River. Wind in northwest, sky cloudy. From 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock, President Young was in the post office and heard a letter read for Emmitt and his company, also one for the trustees at Nauvoo. President Young wrote a letter to Eleazer King to send the team of the widow Gardner immediately to Richardson's Point, and signed it. A mail of about 40 letters was made up about 9 o'clock and delivered to John Young and Evan M. Green, who started immediately for Nauvoo. President Young told Captain Stout that his guard was of no use to the camp, that he would not give the skin of an ox, that they would sit by the fire and sleep and let the cattle eat pickles out of the tub and crackers out of the sacks as they did at his tent the night before.
About 10 o'clock a.m. President Young, Heber C. Kimball, and John Taylor of the Twelve, Captain Charles C. Rich, William Clayton, Samuel Bent, C. Shumway, Jedediah M. Grant, H. Stout, Stephen Markham, J. D. Hunter, J. Gleason, G. D. Grant, H. G. Sherwood, John Pack, L. Young, E. T. Benson, Peter Haws, and J. D. Lee left headquarters on the Chariton in carriages and on horseback. After passing through one mudhole only, which was about six miles in length, arrived at Captain Elisha Averett's tent where they met Captain Parley P. Pratt, O. Pratt, G. A. Smith, and Bishop Miller, who returned with President Young and company to Parley P. Pratt's encampment, l/4 mile west of the east fork of Shoal Creek, and assembled in council at the tent of George A. Smith 20 minutes before 2 o'clock p.m., agreeable to adjournment. Father John Smith, Elisha and Elijah Averett, and others met in council.
Parley P. Pratt reported that division of the camp had purchased about 100 bushels corn at 20 cents, mostly in trading. The price has since gone to 25 cents. President Young said that it was his mind that we pay no more than 20 cents, the camp can be supplied at that price. Council adjourned to dinner which was prepared by P. P. Pratt and G. A. Smith, and corn for horses in abundance.
The business of the council was resumed at a marquee furnished for the occasion. President Young called for the captains of fifties. No one answered; he responded to his own call. I am the captain of the first 50. Heber C. Kimball said, I am the captain of the second 50. P. P. Pratt [is captain of the] third 50, Peter Haws fourth 50, John Taylor fifth 50, and George Miller sixth 50. Up to this period the organization of this camp was very imperfect. When it was decided that the Saints would remove from Nauvoo, about 25 men were selected by the council of YTFIF and called captains of hundreds, whose business it was severally to select 100 families and see that they were prepared for a journey across the Rocky Mountains.
Afterward the captains of hundreds selected their own captains of fifties and tens, clerks, etc. At the time appointed, such out of all of these companies as were ready commenced leaving the city. Charles Shumway being among the first, crossed the Mississippi on February 4, 1846, and was followed by others from day to day and night to night, forming an encampment on the bank of the river and afterwards at Sugar Creek, where they continued to gather and remained until after the arrival of President Young and council, when a partial organization was entered into and still farther advanced at Richardson's Point, all of which is written in this history under its proper dates. But to the present time, so many have been returning to Nauvoo which came on to assist the camp only for a little season, and the different divisions have been so far separated from each other by storms, bad roads, and other circumstances, that it has hitherto been impossible to affect anything like a perfect organization which was the object of the present council.
President Young was unanimously elected president over the whole camp of Israel by the council. Ezra T. Benson was elected captain over first 100, John Smith captain of the second 100, Samuel Bent of the third 100. Albert P. Rockwood [?Young] was elected captain of the first 50 of [the] first 100, Stephen Markham [Kimball] captain of [the] second 50, John Harvey [Young] captain [of the] third 50, Charles C. Rich of the fifth 50 in the] second 100, Howard Egan [Kimball] of the fourth 50, and John Chrisman captain of the sixth 50 in [the] third 100, in place of the former captains of fifties who were promoted to be presidents over their divisions of fifties, except that of the first, which was laid over for further considerations. President Young said from this time forth let the companies be called by the numbers and not by the name of the commanding officers. Also, let every individual hereafter be called by the name that they received by adoption.
William Clayton was appointed clerk for the whole camp. John Doyle Lee [Young] was appointed clerk for the first 50, John Pack second 50, George Hales third 50, Lorenzo Snow fourth 50, John Oakley fifth 50, and Asahel A. Lathrop sixth 50. President Young remarked that Willard Richards was the standing historian for the Church and camp. Brother John D. Lee, [Young] by the request of the historian who was sick in bed and unable to be in council, spoke of the importance of every clerk keeping a perfect history of his company and of reporting the same to the general clerk in camp so that the historian might have before him of which to compile the history.
Henry G. Sherwood was appointed the contracting commissary general for the first 50, David D. Yearsley [Kimball] contracting commissary for second 50, William H. Edwards ditto [contracting commissary for the] third 50, Peter Haws [Young] fourth 50, Samuel Gully fifth 50, and Joseph Warthan sixth 50. H. G. Sherwood ranks as acting commissary general. The duty of the commissaries is to counsel together and agree on terms, prices, and courses, to make purchase of corn fodder, provision, and such articles as may be needed by their respective companies. Charles Kennedy [Young] was appointed distributing commissary for the first 50, Jedediah M. Grant for the second 50, Nathan Tanner ditto [distributing commissary for the] third 50, Orson B. Adams ditto [distributing commissary for the] fourth 50, James Allred ditto [distributing commissary for the] fifth 50, and Isaac Allred ditto [distributing commissary for the] sixth 50, whose duties are to make a righteous distribution of grain, provision, and such articles as shall be furnished for the use of the camp, among their respective fifties.
President Young charged the captains very particularly to instruct their respective divisions to be very careful about setting the prairie or woods on fire, particularly in a dry time, lest they bring trouble on the camp, to prohibit all discharge of firearms in the camp, and to keep their guns and pistols out of sight. Council adjourned to Monday 10 a.m. In camp on Chariton River 5 p.m. The members of the council from the remaining encampment arrived home a little after sunset.
Benjamin F. Johnson visited the post office sometime today. Stated that his teams were 3 or 4 miles back, that two of his company had broke out with the measles just before he left and that he could not come up with his company without assistance. John L. Butler [Young] left headquarters for Shoal Creek encampment on his way to Emmitt's Company. (1)
-- Mar 27, 1846
[Brigham Young Sermon] I was unanimously elected President over the whole Camp of Israel, by the Council; Ezra T. Benson was elected Captain over the first hundred; John Smith Captain of the Second hundred; Samuel Bent Captain of the Third Hundred; Albert P. Rockwood, Captain of the first fifty of the first hundred; Stephen Markham Captain of the Second fifty; John Harvey Captain of the third fifty; Howard Egan Captain of the fourth fifty; Charles C. Rich Captain of the fifth fifty; and John Chrisman of the sixth fifty, in place of the former cap- tains of fifties, who were promoted to be Presidents over their divisions of fifties, except that of the first hundred which was laid over for further consideration; I directed that from this time forth the companies be called by their numbers, and not by the names of their commanding officers. William Clayton was appointed clerk for the whole Camp; John D. Lee was appointed clerk of the first fifty; John Pack was appointed clerk for the second fifty; George Hales was appointed clerk for the third fifty; Lorenzo Snow for the fourth fifty; John Oakley for the fifth fifty; and Asahel A. Lathrop was appointed for the sixth. I remarked that Willard Richards was the standing Historian for the Church and Camp; John D. Lee, by the request of the Historian, who was sick in bed, and unable to be in Council, spoke of the importance of every clerk keeping a perfect History of his Company, and of reporting the same to the general clerk in Camp, so that the Historian might have sufficient matter before him from which to compile a correct History. Henry G. Sherwood was appointed the contracting Commissary for the first fifty; David D. Yearsley for the Second; Wm. H. Edwards for the third; Peter Haws for the fourth; Samuel Gully for the fifth; and Joseph Warthan for the sixth fifty. Henry G. Sherwood ranks as acting commissary General. The duty of these commissaries is to counsel together, and agree on terms, prices and courses to make purchasing of corn, fodder, provisions and such articles as may be needed by their respective companies. Charles Kennedy was appointed distributing Commissary for the first fifty; Jedediah M. Grant for the second; Nathan Tanner for the third; Orson B. Adams for the fourth; James Allred for the fifth; and Isaac Allred for the sixth. Their duties are to make a righteous distribution of grain, provisions and such articles as shall be furnished for the use of the camp among their respective fifties. I charged the Captains particularly to instruct their respective divisions, to be very careful about setting the Prairie or woods on fire, especially in a dry time, lest they bring trouble upon the Camp; to prohibit all discharge of fire arms in the Camp and to keep their guns and pistols out of sight. -- Chariton River, Iowa [Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1846- 1847. Elden J. Watson, ed. Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1971.:107-109] (2)
Endnotes:
1 - Apostle Willard Richards Journal
2 - The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009)
LDS History Chronology: Lorenzo Snow
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Lorenzo Snow
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
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