Notwithstanding all these things, the recollection of past hardships, and the prospect of those in the future, the Saints were not dispirited, but from their abodes ascended the sound of joy and of rejoicing, to think that they had at last a prospect of getting beyond the power of their enemies.
Shortly the first camp moved on, and the rest of the Saints came up to it in succession, but not until the first camp had crossed the Missouri river.
Here the command was, "Stop and raise grain to go on with next year," for we had a thousand miles' journey ahead, and not a settlement on the road; besides, unless we wished to starve, we must have grain to sow our lands when we got there. So, at the word, a spot was selected and, before many weeks had passed, lands in all directions were fenced in, and a city composed of roughly-built houses and wagons, and called Winter Quarters, sprang into existence.
As the winter was, however, just coming on, of course we could not put in any grain until the spring. We began, then, more than ever, to feel the destitution of our position, for want of vegetables had brought on the scurvy, the provisions of many became exhausted, and our prospects of a fresh supply seemed rather distant.
The city was laid out in wards, over each of which a Bishop was appointed. One of these wards was committed to me, and this, of course, entailed upon me the care of the poor—no trifling matter under such circumstances.
It would take no small space to describe all the expedients to which I was often driven in fulfillment of this duty, for the little stock I had of my own was soon gone, and still the poor had not done eating.
What was to be done? I went to President Young, and very pathetically told him that all my grain was gone, and I had not the first shilling in my possession with which to get any more. All the consolation I got from him was some instruction to "feed them well, and take care they have enough to eat," and it would not do for a Saint to say he could not. So I had to scheme. I borrowed ten dollars from a sister who possessed a small store. I then crossed the Missouri river, and laid the money out in meal and meat. But when this was gone I had to borrow of some one else to pay her, and then of some one else to pay him.
I borrowed until I made my debt up to fifty dollars, and no more chance of payment appeared than at first. Who would not have been a Bishop then? Fortunately, just at this juncture, the lost cattle of one who had died in my ward came into my hands, and I sold them for fifty dollars. I paid my debt, and was ready to commence borrowing again with a clear conscience.
The Pioneers started for the mountains to seek out a resting place for the Saints, and the body of those that remained began to raise corn. I and many others left our families, went down into Missouri, and hired ourselves out to obtain means to buy teams, clothes, flour, etc., so that we might follow the Pioneers' camp.
When the time arrived the Saints moved out promiscuously, and, after crossing the Elk Horn river, they were organized into two large divisions called Brigham's and Heber's companies. These were subdivided into smaller companies of hundreds, fifties and tens, and in this way the Saints proceeded across the plains.