"To the west."
"What for?"
"To see where we can get land cheapest and best."
"Who leads the camp?"
"Sometimes one, sometimes another."
"What name?"
"Captain Wallace, Major Bruce," etc.
The Prophet Joseph believed in being kind to all animals, and he instructed his brethren in Zion's camp to kill none except for food. Man must first become peaceful, before animals will lose their fierceness. Not long after this instruction had been given, a brother became very tired by traveling and lay down on the ground to sleep. When he awoke, what should he see but a rattlesnake coiled up not more than a foot away from his head. Just then some of the brethren came up and wanted to kill the snake; but the brother said, "No, I'll protect him, for he and I have had a good nap together." He remembered what Joseph had said.
On June 7th the company having crossed the Mississippi river, camped on Salt river in Missouri. More of the brethren had joined the company on the way, and now it numbered two hundred and five men. From this point Parley P. Pratt and Orson Hyde were sent to Governor Dunklin at Jefferson city, asking him to use his power as the highest officer in the state to have the Saints brought back to their homes in Jackson county. The governor said he thought it right that the Saints should get back their lands, yet he was afraid if they tried to go back or if he called out soldiers to help them get their homes, there would be a terrible war and many people killed. So the governor would do nothing to help them.
While Zion's camp was making its way to the Saints in Clay county, a meeting was held in Liberty where some mobbers from Jackson county tried to arouse the people against the Saints. Nothing being done at this meeting, a party of fifteen men started for Independence to raise an army large enough to destroy Joseph and the camp.