William Clayton's Journal / A Daily Record of the Journey of the Original Company of "Mormon" Pioneers from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake
A Daily Record of the Journey of the Original Company of Mormon Pioneers from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake
Copyright 1921 by Lawrence Clayton, trustee for the Clayton Family Association.
Electronic edition produced by the Mormon Texts Project. To report typos or formatting errors, you can email mormontextsproject@gmail.com.
Volunteers who helped with this book: Eric Heaps, Meridith Crowder, Ben Crowder, Tod Robbins, David Van Leeuwen, Lili DeForest, Jude Ogzewalla, Byron Clark.
Version 1.0
William Clayton was one of the remarkable characters of early Utah history. Born in the county of Lancashire, England, July 17, 1814, he was educated in one of the schools of his native town, and grew to manhood with a love for books and nature. An early convert of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he conducted one of the first companies from England to Nauvoo, and there became one of the trusted secretaries of the Prophet Joseph Smith. With the exodus from Nauvoo, he was Clerk of the Camp of Israel, and when the Mormon pioneers left Winter Quarters in April, 1847, he was appointed by Brigham Young one of the historians of that noted company. His journal of that memorable expedition over the plains is one of the most valuable diaries we have of that early period of western history. He kept careful account of the distances traveled each day, and his writings are full of descriptions of the country over which they traveled. He has noted the topography, the fauna and flora of the trail; and his descriptions of the activities of the company indicate a well trained intellect in social study. His language is simple and direct, and his care in keeping each day's distance and important facts of the journey show order and method.
His hymn, Come, come, ye Saints takes its place as one of the most beautiful hymns of western history, for it is full of joyfulness, and expresses an optimism and faith in God that will always be an inspiration to the one who sings it. It indicates that William Clayton had much of the artistic in him, although we do know that he took a virile part in the activities of life.
William Clayton
William Clayton's Journal
Foreword
William Clayton
Born in England, 1814; died in Utah, 1879
Editor's Note
Table of Contents
February 1846
Sunday, February 8
Monday, February 9
Tuesday, February 10
Thursday, February 12
Friday, February 13
Saturday, February 14
Sunday, February 15
Monday, February 16
Wednesday, February 18
Thursday, February 19
Friday, February 20
Friday, February 27
Saturday, February 28
March 1846
Sunday, March 1
Monday, March 2
Tuesday, March 3
Wednesday, March 4
Thursday, March 5
Saturday, March 7
Sunday, March 8
Monday, March 9
Tuesday, March 10
Wednesday, March 11
Thursday, March 12
Friday, March 13
Saturday, March 14
Sunday, March 15
Monday, March 16
Tuesday, March 17
Wednesday, March 18
Thursday, March 19
Saturday, March 21
Sunday, March 22
Monday, March 23
Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25
Thursday, March 26
Saturday, March 28
Sunday, March 29
Monday, March 30
Tuesday, March 31
April 1846
Wednesday, April 1
Thursday, April 2
Friday, April 3
Saturday, April 4
Sunday, April 5
Monday, April 6
Tuesday, April 7
Wednesday, April 8
Thursday, April 9
Friday, April 10
Saturday, April 11
Sunday, April 12
Monday, April 13
Tuesday, April 14
Wednesday, April 15
Thursday, April 16
Friday, April 17
Sunday, April 19
Monday, April 20
Tuesday, April 21
Wednesday, April 22
Thursday, April 23
Friday, April 24
Saturday, April 25
Sunday, April 26
Monday, April 27
Tuesday, April 28
Wednesday, April 29
Thursday, April 30
May 1846
Friday, May 1
Saturday, May 2
Sunday, May 3
Monday, May 4
Tuesday, May 5
Wednesday, May 6
Thursday, May 7
Friday, May 8
Saturday, May 9
Sunday, May 10
Monday, May 11
Tuesday, May 12
Wednesday, May 13
Thursday, May 14
Friday, May 15
Saturday, May 16
Sunday, May 17
Monday, May 18
Tuesday, May 19
Wednesday, May 20
Thursday, May 21
Friday, May 22
Saturday, May 23
Sunday, May 24
Monday, May 25
Tuesday, May 26
Wednesday, May 27
Thursday, May 28
Friday, May 29
Saturday, May 30
Sunday, May 31
June 1846
Monday, June 1
Tuesday, June 2
Wednesday, June 3
Thursday, June 4
Friday, June 5
Saturday, June 6
Sunday, June 7
Monday, June 8
Tuesday, June 9
Wednesday, June 10
Thursday, June 11
Friday, June 12
Saturday, June 13
Sunday, June 14
Monday, June 15
Tuesday, June 16
Wednesday, June 17
Thursday, June 18
Friday, June 19
Sunday, June 21
Monday, June 22
Tuesday, June 23
Wednesday, June 24
Thursday, June 25
Friday, June 26
Saturday, June 27
Sunday, June 28
Monday, June 29
Tuesday, June 30
July 1846
Wednesday, July 1
Thursday, July 2
Friday, July 3
Saturday, July 4
Sunday, July 5
Monday, July 6
Thursday, July 9
Friday, July 10
Sunday, July 12
Monday, July 13
Tuesday, July 14
Wednesday, July 15
Thursday, July 16
Friday, July 17
Saturday, July 18
Sunday, July 19
Monday, July 20
Tuesday, July 21
Wednesday, July 22
Thursday, July 23
Friday, July 24
Saturday, July 25
Sunday, July 26
Monday, July 27
Tuesday, July 28
Wednesday, July 29
Thursday, July 30
Friday, July 31
August 1846
Saturday, August 1
Sunday, August 2
Monday, August 3
Tuesday, August 4
Wednesday, August 5
Thursday, August 6
Friday, August 7
Saturday, August 8
Sunday, August 9
Monday, August 10
Tuesday, August 11
Wednesday, August 12
Sunday, August 16
Sunday, August 23
Monday, August 24
Tuesday, August 25
Wednesday, August 26
Thursday, August 27
Saturday, August 29
Sunday, August 30
September 1846
Thursday, September 10
Saturday, September 12
Tuesday, September 15
Saturday, September 19
Sunday, September 20
Monday, September 21
Tuesday, September 22
Wednesday, September 23
Thursday, September 24
Friday, September 25
Saturday, September 26
Sunday, September 27
Monday, September 28
Tuesday, September 29
November 1846
Sunday, November 1
January 1847
Friday, January 1
Saturday, January 2
Sunday, January 3
Monday, January 4
Tuesday, January 5
Wednesday, January 6
Thursday, January 7
Friday, January 8
Saturday, January 9
Sunday, January 10
Monday, January 11
Tuesday, January 12
Wednesday, January 13
Thursday, January 14
Friday, January 15
Saturday, January 16
Sunday, January 17
Monday, January 18
Tuesday, January 19
Wednesday, January 20
Thursday, January 21
Friday, January 22
Saturday, January 23
Sunday, January 24
Monday, January 25
Tuesday, January 26
Wednesday, January 27
Thursday, January 28
Friday, January 29
Saturday, January 30
Sunday, January 31
February 1847
Monday, February 1
Tuesday, February 2
Wednesday, February 3
Thursday, February 4
Friday, February 5
Saturday, February 6
Sunday, February 7
Monday, February 8
Tuesday, February 9
April 1847
Friday, April 9
Saturday, April 10
Sunday, April 11
Monday, April 12
Tuesday, April 13
Wednesday, April 14
Thursday, April 15
Friday, April 16
Saturday, April 17
Sunday, April 18
Monday, April 19
Tuesday, April 20
Wednesday, April 21
Thursday, April 22
Friday, April 23
Saturday, April 24
Sunday, April 25
Monday, April 26
Tuesday, April 27
Wednesday, April 28
Thursday, April 29
Friday, April 30
May 1847
Saturday, May 1
Sunday, May 2
Monday, May 3
Tuesday, May 4
Wednesday, May 5
Thursday, May 6
Friday, May 7
Saturday, May 8
Sunday, May 9
Monday, May 10
Tuesday, May 11
Wednesday, May 12
Thursday, May 13
Friday, May 14
Saturday, May 15
Sunday, May 16
Monday, May 17
Tuesday, May 18
Wednesday, May 19
Thursday, May 20
Friday, May 21
Saturday, May 22
Sunday, May 23
Monday, May 24
Tuesday, May 25
Wednesday, May 26
Thursday, May 27
Friday, May 28
Saturday, May 29
Sunday, May 30
Monday, May 31
June 1847
Tuesday, June 1
Wednesday, June 2
Thursday, June 3
Friday, June 4
Saturday, June 5
Sunday, June 6
Monday, June 7
Tuesday, June 8
Wednesday, June 9
Thursday, June 10
Friday, June 11
Saturday, June 12
Sunday, June 13
Monday, June 14
Tuesday, June 15
Wednesday, June 16
Thursday, June 17
Friday, June 18
Saturday, June 19
Sunday, June 20
Monday, June 21
Tuesday, June 22
Wednesday, June 23
Thursday, June 24
Friday, June 25
Saturday, June 26
Sunday, June 27
Monday, June 28
Tuesday, June 29
Wednesday, June 30
July 1847
Thursday, July 1
Friday, July 2
Saturday, July 3
Sunday, July 4
Monday, July 5
Tuesday, July 6
Wednesday, July 7
Thursday, July 8
Friday, July 9
Saturday, July 10
Sunday, July 11
Monday, July 12
Tuesday, July 13
Wednesday, July 14
Thursday, July 15
Friday, July 16
Saturday, July 17
Sunday, July 18
Monday, July 19
Tuesday, July 20
Wednesday, July 21
Thursday, July 22
Friday, July 23
Saturday, July 24
Sunday, July 25
Monday, July 26
Tuesday, July 27
Wednesday, July 28
Thursday, July 29
Friday, July 30
Saturday, July 31
August 1847
Sunday, August 1
Monday, August 2
Tuesday, August 3
Wednesday, August 4
Thursday, August 5
Friday, August 6
Saturday, August 7
Sunday, August 8
Monday, August 9
Tuesday, August 10
Wednesday, August 11
Thursday, August 12
Friday, August 13
Saturday, August 14
Sunday, August 15
Monday, August 16
Tuesday, August 17
1st Division
2nd Division
Wednesday, August 18
Thursday, August 19
Friday, August 20
Saturday, August 21
Sunday, August 22
Monday, August 23
Tuesday, August 24
Wednesday, August 25
Thursday, August 26
Friday, August 27
Saturday, August 28
Sunday, August 29
Monday, August 30
Tuesday, August 31
September 1847
Wednesday, September 1
Thursday, September 2
Friday, September 3
Saturday, September 4
Sunday, September 5
Monday, September 6
Tuesday, September 7
Wednesday, September 8
Thursday, September 9
Friday, September 10
Saturday, September 11
Sunday, September 12
Monday, September 13
Tuesday, September 14
Wednesday, September 15
Thursday, September 16
Friday, September 17
Saturday, September 18
Sunday, September 19
Monday, September 20
Tuesday, September 21
Wednesday, September 22
Thursday, September 23
Friday, September 24
Saturday, September 25
Sunday, September 26
Monday, September 27
Tuesday, September 28
Wednesday, September 29
Thursday, September 30
October 1847
Friday, October 1
Saturday, October 2
Sunday, October 3
Monday, October 4
Tuesday, October 5
Wednesday, October 6
Thursday, October 7
Friday, October 8
Saturday, October 9
Sunday, October 10
Monday, October 11
Tuesday, October 12
Wednesday, October 13
Thursday, October 14
Friday, October 15
Saturday, October 16
Sunday, October 17
Monday, October 18
Tuesday, October 19
Wednesday, October 20
Thursday, October 21