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Journal entries for the summer of 1846.
His diary relates the events of the trek across Iowa and of his last days in the summer of 1846. He fell ill and died in August 1846. Prior to his death he recorded the initial Mormon exodus west from Nauvoo.
Wed. Apr. 8, 1846 - Sat. 11th. [page 76 of journal] Wednesday Apr. 8--1846 Clear and pleasant, Camp rolled out--I started 20 minutes before 9--roads very lad--traveled 8 miles camped on South fork of Shoal Creek where I found my daughter Zina with a fine Son born in a Tent on Sharaton River.
Thurs. 9th 1846 Rolled out 10 minutes before 8. H C Kimballs company first, the other in confusion which threw my team in front of the last three companies, and for 2 days travel of bad roads. I had no help from any other team, while most of teams had to help each other. At 12--P.M. it began to rain with 200 teams scattered over the flat prairies roads soom became impassable--wagons constantly sticking.--Many wagons were left [p. 77 of diary] on the prairie over night with families, cold and wet without fire. Kimballs comp. Traveled 8 miles, camped a mile from timber, while many scattering wagons of the other 3 companies, such as were not left in the mud camped at Elm point a mile from the road.
Never did as many of the Church spend so disagreeable and miserable a night together, before--it was very cold with high wind and hard rain all night and no fire, mud knee deep around our tents, ground filled with water--while our teams had little or nothing to eat--one cow chilled to deaath.
Friday 10th Same scene of suffering continued high wind, cold and rain--teams sent back after the wagons left in the mud my team went back twice--wind blew down tents and turned over Bro. Turles Buggy-- at 4 o,clock A.M. began to snow and froze hard during the night.
Saturday 11th finished bringing in the families left on the prairie and sent teams after corn -- kept our cattle by cutting down Elm trees for brouse
[p. 88 of diary] Thursday May 21st 1846 Camp was all called together and a council or Presidency was organized for the place of settlement-- I was apointed President over all in both temporal and spiritual affairs. Ezra T. Benson and C. C. Rich were to act as presidents with me.
Friday 22nd weather good--commenced to organize and arrange farming and other business operations for our new settlement. I delivered up the team I had had from Nauvoo to the Trustees. I was then 200 miles from Nauvoo on my way to the Rocky Mountains, having sacrafised all things for the Gospel sake and was left destitute, as to property with my hands completely tied as my time would necessarily be takin up with the interests of the Church.
Sat. May 23-1846 Weather warm --- six houses were commenced -- two for me --- the first house body put up in ths place was my'n on the middle fork of Grand river 70 or 80 miles from Davis Co. Mo. Where I once lived in Adam ondi Ahman. The land we had settled on had been sold by the Indians to Government &;were to vacate it the next fall -- the Potawotamies)
