Footnotes
[1]. Then the general name for the great West, including what is now Utah.
[2]. Elder Orson Spencer was left in charge of the mission after the departure of the Apostles, and Elder Franklin D. Richards was his counselor.
[3]. It was with those instruments that Orson Pratt, a few months later, laid out Salt Lake City.
CHAPTER XXI.
PREPARATIONS FOR JOURNEY INTO THE WILDERNESS—THE OUTFIT—THE RENDEZVOUS—ORGANIZATION—MANNER OF TRAVELING—MEETING THE PIONEERS—A SYLVAN FEAST—ARRIVAL IN SALT LAKE VALLEY—"WORK ENOUGH FOR ONE FALL"—SOCIAL FEAST—CHARACTER OF PRIMITIVE SOCIETY.
The Saints at Winter Quarters had been instructed to organize into companies and follow the pioneers into the mountains as soon as practicable. As Elders Taylor and Pratt did not arrive in time to fit out and accompany the pioneers; and as they were members of the quorum presiding over the Church at the time, Elder Taylor was associated with Elder Pratt in a general superintendency of affairs at Winter Quarters and especially in organizing the companies destined to follow the Pioneers that summer.
The plan of organization for traveling was to divide the people into companies of one hundred wagons, subdivided into companies of fifty wagons, and ten wagons, with captains over each division, the captains of fifties being subordinate to captains of hundreds, and captains of tens being subordinate to captains of fifties—all being subject to the direction of the Apostles. Each fifty had a blacksmith with tools for repairing wagons and shoeing animals. Three hundred pounds of breadstuff were required for each person. Every man had to have a gun with one hundred rounds of ammunition; and each family was expected to take along its proportion of seed grain and agricultural implements.
As fast as individuals and families were found who had the required outfit, or could obtain it, they rendezvoused at a point on the Elk Horn River, where the organization for the journey to the mountains was perfected.