Tuesday, March 31
It was concluded we could not get ready to move until tomorrow. O. P. Rockwell arrived with the mail. I received a letter from Diantha and father. President Young received one from the trustees, one from Matlock and one from E. Pratt which I read in council. I was ordered to write an answer to the trustees' and Matlock's letter, but being late I left it till morning when I was quite unwell. I got two new teamsters, Levi Kendall and Swap.
April 1846
Wednesday, April 1
President Young also sent me two yoke of oxen, wagon, and Brother Jones, the owner, to assist me. We divided the load out of the spare wagons putting a yoke of oxen to each and about 11:00 started on our journey. Mother was very sick, and could not bear to ride. She walked all the way. I felt very unwell myself, having much pain in my limbs. The roads were bad, but we arrived in camp about 2:00 and got on good ground. After getting our tents fixed, fires made, etc., I went to wrestling, jumping etc., to try to get well. I over-exerted myself without any symptoms of perspiration and was so sick after I had to go to bed.
Thursday, April 2
I was very sick all day and unable to write the letters or meet with the council. O. P. Rockwell started back to Nauvoo with letters. One of the Brother Hales arrived to say to his brother who drives team for Pitt that his family is very sick and wants him to go back but we cannot spare the team and he says it is no use for him to go back without it. At night I wrote again to Diantha and sent it by Brother Hale who returns tomorrow.
Friday, April 3
This morning it was decided to start early so as to get over the bad roads and also travel about fifteen miles. We had to send a wagon and team to fetch the eight bushels of corn which some of the band earned by playing last night. We started, however, about eight o'clock. The roads were very bad and when we had traveled about three miles it began to thunder and rain. The clouds gathered fast and it soon showed signs for heavy rain the whole day. We reached Bishop Whitney's camp about noon and rested our teams while the rest came up. We then started again in the heavy rain and bad roads and traveled about three miles to Bishop Miller's camp. We had a very bad bluff to rise and had to double teams to get up. On the top I met Heber camped. He selected a camping ground for us and advised us to go no farther. President Young has gone on six or seven miles. It was about 5:00 before all our teams got up and it rained heavily all the time. Mother walked all day again in the rain. I was very sick myself and unable to do anything. Yesterday the portion of the guard detailed to our company joined in with us, being Orvil M. Allen and eight men. They reported themselves destitute of everything and said they had lived a week on corn meal gruel, Stout and Hunter having made them serve as their body guard and used them very hard. I dealt out some of my own flour and bacon to them, determined to comfort them some if I could and not being willing to see anyone in our company suffer while I have anything left. It continued to rain all night very hard.