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''The Worst That I Had Yet Witnessed''

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''The Worst That I Had Yet Witnessed'' and gullies, and much timber and ''The worst that I brush. The trail was at right angles to the waterways, meaning frequent bridge-building and had yet witnessed'' fording, and delays from spring flooding. Their way stations and tempo­ Mormon diarists cross Iowa in 1846 rary camps served as oases for the migrants. They also served as burial grounds for the unknown by Loren N. Horton numbers who died crossing Iowa. "Worse than destitution stared us 'J\s we journeyed onward in each company. He knew that in the face," Zina D. Young re­ mothers gave birth to off- the first companies must establish called in her reminiscences. "Sick­ spring under almost ev­ permanent camps or way stations ness came upon us, and death in­ ery variety of circumstances imag­ for the thousands of Mormons vaded our camp. Sickness was so inable, except those to which they who would later follow. It was prevalent and deaths so frequent had been accustomed-some in mandatory that the Saints cross that enough help could not be had tents, other in wagons, in rain­ Iowa and move into the unsettled to make coffins, and many of the storms, in snow storms. I heard of areas in the mountains west of the dead were wrapped in their grave one birth which occurred under Great Plains. There, so they clothes and buried with split logs the rude shelter of a hut, the sides thought, they would be safe from at the bottom of the grave and of which were formed of blankets persecution by hostile and jealous brush at the sides, that being all fastened to poles stuck in the neighbors. Young expected to that could be done for them by ground, with a bark roof through move west, but by what route and their mourning friends." which the rain was dripping­ at what speed, no one knew. An11mazing variety of Mor­ kind sisters stood holding dishes The difficulties encountered mon diaries, journals, letters, and to catch the water as it fell, thus tested the Mormons' resilience reminiscences vividly describe be­ protecting the newcomer and its and adaptability, particularly that ing dislocated from one's home. mother from a shower bath as the of the first groups in 1846. When Mormon John Steele, for instance, little innocent first entered on the crossing uninhabited territory, wrote in his diary about departing stage of human life." they had to seek out their own Nauvoo: "I got up and left all my Eliza Snow, who wrote this route and create their own trails furniture standing as we were reminiscence, was among the and bridges over icy cold streams. wont to use it. The clock hung on nearly 20,000 members of the When moving through inhabited the mantel piece, and every thing Church of Jesus Christ of Latter­ areas, they sometimes encoun­ as though we were just gone out day Saints who abandoned their tered hostility from non-Mormon on a visit, only the beds were gone homes in Nauvoo, Illinois, in settlers. but not the bedsteads. I wanted a 1846, following the murder of Most Mormon migrants . hammer for something after I their prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. in agreed that the months spent started and returned to the house 1844 and subsequent mob vio­ crossing Iowa were among the and found three of our enemies lence and persecution. Leaving worst of the entire experience. Not quarreling who should have the property and possessions behind, only did they face an unknown clock. I opened my toolchest, took and huddling under insufficient and sometimes hostile environ­ out my hammer, closed the lid shelter without enough to eat or ment, they also faced frigid tem­ and sat down upon it, and heard wear, the Mormons migrated peratures, snow, rain, and clay them awhile, then started on my westward across southern Iowa. mud that clogged the wheels. journey." A brilliant organizer, Mormon Traveling at the worst time of the The Mormon accounts also leader Brigham Young had di­ year, the Mormons were crossing describe traveling across un­ vided the migrants into compa­ the Southern Iowa Drift Plain, known territory and difficult ter­ nies of hundreds, fifties, and tens, characterized by a multitude of rain. The sampling that follows of the number indicating adult males hills and valleys, rivers and creeks Mormon diary entries from 1846 70 Iowa Heritage Illu strated paints a vivid picture of southern the wilderness and die by the way to hold it, but in a moment there Iowa 150 years ago. and be buried in some hole." came a gust of wind and blew the Warren Foote, March 1 tent flat to the ground. My next care was to hold my carriage, "It snows hard, the wind "They gathered around the which was under the tent, from blows, no tent yet. Mr. Sessions bonfires to hear Pitt's band that blowing away. The rain came sent $1.00 yesterday for cloth to evening. Some of the band played down in torrents so fast that it put make the ends of our tent. It has for local residents of the area who out the fire. In a few minutes it come, but no twine to sew it were so delighted with the band was all darkness, and it was so with." Patty Bartlett Sessions, Feb­ that they donated 8 bushels of cold that it seemed as though I ruary 19 corn." Orson Pratt, March 2 must perish. I stood and held the end of the carriage about one "The cold has been severe the "This morning President hour. The rain wet me through past night; a snow storm this Brigham Young gave instruction and through, and I never felt in morning, which continued during to the teamsters not to crowd their my life as though I must perish the forenoon, blowing from the teams or endeavor to drive over with the cold more than I did northwest. ... Seven p.m., ther­ one another, realize and try to cre­ then." Lorenzo Snow, Chariton River mometer 12 degrees below zero, ate friendships or they would not campsite, March 23 Fahrenheit. Mississippi River is prosper." John Lyman Smith, frozen over above Montrose." March 3 "At 12 o'clock at night, wind Brigham Young, February 24 west, rains hard through the "Sis. M. baked a batch of night. Wind blowed down Brother "On the first day of March, the eleven loaves but the washing Tanner's tent. Very muddy, un­ ground covered with snow, we business was necessarily omitted pleasant time. Streams high. All broke encampment about noon, for the want of water, an inconve­ well." William Huntington, April 2 and soon nearly four hundred nience the present location suffers . ~ wagons were movmg to-we more than any previous one." "I rose this morning, the sun knew not where." Lorenzo Snow, Eliza Snow, March 9 shining with splendor which glad­ March 1 dens our hearts. Our wagon cover "About nine o'clock P.M. it be­ is frozen hard, and the mud and "Mother is still failing. She gan to roar in the west, and the water is a little frozen. Froze our says that she has been thinking wind began to blow. I stepped to shoes in the tent." Patty Bartlett that father wants her to come to the door of my tent and took hold Sessions, April 5 him, and she thought it would be better to go now and be buried be­ side him than to go into "A wet month gener- ally:' recorded non-Mor­ mon Jonathan F. Stratton in his diary in 1846, "the streams is higher than they have been since I have been in the country." From his home in south­ eastern Iowa, Stratton observed that "the Mor­ mons fill the road travel­ ling west all this month some days from 80 to I 00 waggons pass." SHSIIIOWA CITY I SHSI (IOWA CITY): PHOTO BY DEBBY ZIEGLOWSKY BAKER Mormon wagons crossed Steel limbs of trees, and throw them to sing, the grass to grow and ev­ Creek in Wayne County, then climbed upon the ground in our tents, to erything assumes a pleasant as­ this hillside, as evidenced by two sets keep our beds from sinking in the pect." Horace Whitney, April20 of wagon-wheel ruts still visible. mire. Those who were unable to reach the timber suffered much, "We will leave some here be­ "About 2 o'clock in the morn­ on account of the cold, having no cause they cannot go farther at ing I was called to go back about fuel for fires." Orson Pratt, Locust present. They can stay here for a two miles; it then snowed. Rode Creek campsite #1, April 9 season 3jld recruit, and by and by behind the man and through mud pack up and come on, while we and water some of the way, belly "Heber and band came up go a little farther and lengthen out to the horse.... Her child was and encamped on the same ridge the cords, and build a few more born before I got there. She had which we were on. It formed a stakes, and so continue on until rode 13 miles after she was in tra­ beautiful sight to see so many we can gather all the saints and vail. Crossed the creek on a log af­ wagons and tents together and plant them in a place where we ter dark. Her husband carried her could be seen for miles on the can build the House of the Lord in over such things as was neces­ prairie." Hosea Stout, April14 the tops of the mountains." sary." Patty Bartlett Sessions, April 6 Brigham Young, Garden Grove camp, "Today eight rattlesnakes April26 "This day capped the climax were killed by our company, and of all days for traveling.
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