Arrival of the Camp at Salt River.
June 6.—We resumed our journey,[[1]] and on the evening of the 7th[[2]] encamped in a piece of woods, near a spring of water, at Salt River. Here was a branch of the Church.
Arrival of Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight.
Sunday, June 8.—We had been preaching, and in the course of the day were joined by Brothers Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wight, with a company of volunteers which they had gathered in Michigan.[[3]] The whole company now consisted of two hundred and five men, and twenty-five baggage wagons with two or three horses each. We remained at Salt River until the 12th, refreshing and reorganizing the camp, which reorganizing was done by electing Lyman Wight general of the camp.[[4]] I chose twenty men for my life guards, of whom my Brother Hyrum was chosen captain, and George A. Smith was my armor bearer. The remainder of the company was organized according to the pattern at New Portage. While at Salt River, General Wight marched the camp on the prairie, inspected our firelocks, ordered a discharge of the same at targets by platoons, drilled us half a day, and returned to camp.
Messengers Sent to Governor Dunklin.
About this time I dispatched Elders Orson Hyde and Parley P. Pratt to Jefferson City with a message to Governor Dunklin, to ascertain if he was ready to fulfill the proposition which he had previously made to the brethren to reinstate them on their lands in Jackson county, and leave them there to defend themselves.[[5]]
On June 9th Governor Dunklin wrote to W. W. Phelps and others: mailed at—
City of Jefferson, June 9, 1834.
Herewith you have a second order for the delivery of your arms now in the possession of the militia of Jackson county. Colonel Lucas has resigned his command, he informs me. If Lieut.-Colonel Pitcher should be arrested before you receive this, you will please hold up the order until I am informed who may be appointed to the command of the regiment.
Respectfully,
(Signed) Daniel Dunklin.
The foregoing letter enclosed the following order:
City of Jefferson, June 4, 1834.
Thomas Pitcher, Lieut.-Colonel commandant of the Thirty-third Regiment.
Sir—On the 2nd day of last May I issued an order to Colonel Lucas to deliver the fifty-two guns and one pistol, which you received from the Mormons on the 4th day of November last, and reported to him on the 3rd day of the succeeding December—to W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, John Corrill, John Whitmer, and A. S. Gilbert, or their order. On the 24th ultimo, Colonel Lucas wrote and informed me that he had resigned his commission and left the county of Jackson. You, as commandant of said regiment, are therefore commanded to collect the said arms, if they are not already in your possession, and deliver them to the aforesaid gentlemen or their order.
Respectfully,
Daniel Dunklin, Commander-in-Chief.