January 20, 1846, while the high council of Nauvoo was considering the abandonment of that place and journeying to the Rocky Mountains, the subject of sending an advance company was discussed. There had been some talk of the government building block houses and forts along the road to Oregon, and the matter was then before Congress. It was decided at this meeting that “In the event of the President’s recommendation to build block houses and stockade forts on the route to Oregon becoming a law, we have encouragement of having that work to do, and under our peculiar circumstances, we can do it with less expense to the government than any other people.” Six days later Elder Jesse C. Little was appointed to preside in the Eastern States, and was furnished a letter of appointment in which the following occurs:
“If our government shall offer any facilities for emigrating to the western coast, embrace those facilities, if possible. As a wise and faithful man, take every honorable advantage of the times you can. Be thou a savior and a deliverer of that people, and let virtue, integrity and truth be your motto—salvation and glory the prize for which you contend.”
Acting on this advice Elder Little wrote an appeal to President Polk in behalf of the Latter-day Saints, and afterwards called upon him and also the vice-President and members of the cabinet. At the time of his interview, June 1, 1846, word of the commencement of hostilities between Mexico and the United States had reached Washington, and those governments were in a state of war. The authorities in Washington accepted the suggestion of Elder Little, thinking it might be opportune to call upon the “Mormons” for volunteers. This was a very different action than that hoped for by the authorities of the Church, as they were looking for the opportunity to labor along the road toward Oregon over which they were destined to travel. Nevertheless they had asked for aid and now they were determined to carry through the proposition of the government, hoping thereby that a blessing would be obtained and some benefit accrue to them. In complying with the order from the government over five hundred of their most vigorous young men were taken from their camps to travel westward by another route thus greatly weakening the camps.
Winter Quarters
The call of these able-bodied men for the battalion made it impossible for the Saints in their weakened condition, to continue their journey towards the West. It became necessary, therefore, for them to seek quarters where they could prepare for the coming winter. Captain James Allen secured from the chiefs representing the Pottawattamie tribes their voluntary consent for the Saints to make the Indian lands an abiding place as long as they should remain in that country. He also wrote an open letter stating what he had done in this matter. The Indian sub-agent also endorsed the letter which Colonel Thomas L. Kane forwarded with a communication of his own, to the President of the United States. Measures were taken to gather to this place all the scattered Saints who were on the plains. Twelve men were chosen to form a high council, and a site was chosen on the west bank of the Missouri River for their settlement. A committee of twelve men was appointed to arrange the temporary city into wards, over which bishops were chosen to preside. During the summer hay was cut in sufficient quantities to provide for their stock in the winter. Every family labored diligently to construct some kind of a house in which they could find shelter, although many of these were merely dugouts built in the side of the hill. The place was named Winter Quarters and was laid out regularly into streets. The Indians gave some trouble and it became necessary to build a stockade around the town. Through kind treatment, President Young and the Saints obtained the good will of most of the Indians, so that they lived in comparative peace.
Major Harvey’s Opposition
Major H. M. Harvey, the superintendent of Indian affairs and some others, made trouble for the Saints. Mr. Harvey called on President Young in November, and stated that he wished the Saints to move from the lands belonging to the Indians, and complained that the people were burning the Indians’ wood. He said he had instructions from the government to permit no settlers on the lands without authority from Washington. President Young explained that the reason for the encampment was due to the sudden demand of the United States for troops, and if the government prevented them from continuing their journey, some consideration and protection in return should be offered. Later developments indicated that the opposition was instigated by the enemies of the Saints. Through the intercession of J. K. Kane, father of Colonel Thomas L. Kane, the government gave permission for the exiles to remain where they were through the winter. Colonel Kane proved himself a faithful friend to the Latter-day Saints, and was yet to perform valiant service. He wrote to Elder Willard Richards, the camp historian, stating that he was intending to secure a lease from the government of the Omaha lands, on which some of the Saints had located. “Trust me,” he said, “it is not fated that my forces shall depart before I have righted you at the seat of government, and have at least assured to you a beginning of justice besides an end of wrong.”
Activities at Winter Quarters
A gristmill was built at Winter Quarters; also a council house, where meetings could be held. This was done as much for the sake of keeping the people employed as it was for their convenience. During the winter they suffered greatly. The scurvy broke out among them and continued until potatoes were obtained from Missouri, and horse-radish was discovered in an abandoned fort near the camp. Meetings were regularly held and the spiritual as well as the temporal welfare of the refugees was not neglected. Much of the time of the leading brethren was spent in giving employment to the Saints and in devising means for the continuance of the journey when the time should come in the spring for them to move.