Questions and Review.—1. Who was Captain James Allen? 2. What did he want of the "Mormons?" 3. What was the Battalion wanted for? 4. What did President Young say? 5. What did many of the Saints think of the call? 6. Why was it a hardship on the Saints at that time to furnish five hundred soldiers? 7. Describe the line of march of the Battalion. 8. How long did it take them? 9. How far was it? 10. What kind of journey was it? 11. What did Colonel Cooke say about it? 12. What did the Battalion men do in California? 13. What happened at Nauvoo in the summer of 1846, when the Battalion was on the march?
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE PIONEERS.
While the Saints were in Winter Quarters during the winter of 1846-7 they were busily preparing for the march to the mountains next spring. Men for the advance company were selected, and on April 7, 1847, they began to move out of Winter Quarters to a place westward, where they were to gather. Ten days later the first or pioneer camp, was ready for marching. The idea was to have twelve times twelve men, but one became sick and had to return, so that left one hundred and forty-three. There were besides the men three women and two children. They had seventy-two wagons, ninety-three horses, fifty-two mules, sixty-six oxen, nineteen cows, seventeen dogs, and some chickens.
For three months and seventeen days this company traveled westward over plains and mountains. During the first part of their journey they sometimes followed a wagon road to Oregon, and sometimes they made new roads. The shallow rivers they forded, the deep ones they built bridges over, and the large ones they crossed in ferry boats which they built. After these ferries had been built the pioneers sometimes took over companies on their way to Oregon and received provisions for their pay.
MAP OF PIONEER ROUTE.
The map will show you the route they took better than can be told here.