THE ROAD TO ZION

The Spirit of Emigration
The migration of the Mormons, from the scant scores who first moved westward from New York and Pennsylvania in 1831 until, thousands strong, they reached Utah in 1847, is a heroic, but too little known epoch of our history. "The Road to Zion," they called it, and they likened themselves to the Children of Israel, seeking the promised land. It is an epoch that has its roots in religion, the saga of a people who were driven by fire and sword, almost clear across the continent, continually fighting, not only hostile Indians, wild beasts, famine, the biting cold, and the scorching sun, but enemies who hated them for their beliefs, had sworn to exterminate them, and who were as ruthless as the savages and the merciless elements. The Road to Zion was a trail of death, stretched across the great plains and over the mountains until it reached Utah, where in peace for a time the migrants raised their Holy City, on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. The tapestry of their lives was woven with threads of the fantastic and the terrible, the Avenging Angels, the blood atonement, yet these men were heroes, and the women where heroines of the finest courage. Courage was something the Mormons had when they didn't have anything else. Strangely, more men than women died on that tragic journey, in proportion to their numbers. The men trudged on, until they were at death's door and then dropped in their tracks to die. In some way the women found strength to struggle on. The Saints were a people on the run, fleeing from the wrath of a host of religious enemies, who hooted at their revelations, scoffed at their prophets, and expressed their antagonism with the torch and sword. Their course was onward as rapidly as they could travel. Swollen streams and hub-deep mud often made any progress impossible. Sometimes the company would make their sun-down camp only a quarter of a mile from where they had started at daybreak. They had no homes, they seldom knew where the next meal would be found; new unknown perils faced them on every bend of the trail. Sometimes in the midst of tragedy and suffering they found time for happiness, at night around the blazing campfires the weary exiles found a release from their worries in song. Each company had a few musical instruments. Some played and some sang, while others danced. There was one song which was particularly popular with the Saints. It was called " In Upper California, Oh That's the Land for Me." All the land west of the Rocky Mountains was known as California. Songs of Zion resounded from wagon to wagon, reverberating through the woods, while the echo was returned from the distant hills. In the late summer and autumn of 1846 a strange disease which the Saints called "Black Canker" broke out in some of the camps along the lowlands of the Missouri River. It swept the region, termed "Misery Bottoms" like the black plague that devastated Europe in the Dark Ages. At one time more than a third of the camp occupants lay stricken. In some companies no one escaped. The few still able to stagger about tried valiantly to make their way from tent to tent, carrying water in answer to the feeble cries of the suffering. For several weeks it was impossible for the able-bodied ones to dig graves fast enough to dispose of the dead. Some, themselves stricken and helpless, had to lie for days in their tents, beside the bodies of their loved ones, waiting their turn by the burial squad. The anguish of all so afficted was well expressed by a fever-wracked mother who lay gazing at the lifeless form of her child beside her, when she said, " I lived only because I could not die." While many perished, the others, like this mother, survived, because they could not die and struggled on toward their destiny. -- Jospehine Robertson Anderson.

*Hafen, LeRoy R., and Ann W. Hafen. Handcarts to Zion: The Story of a Unique Western Migration, 1856-1860. Vol. 14 of the Far West and the Rockies Historical Series. Arthur H. Clarke Co. Glendale, Calif., 1960.

The Road to Zion:
Immigrants who came to Utah between the years 1847 and 1868 are designated "Pioneers of Utah." It is estimated that about 80,000 LDS crossed the plains and mountains from the Missouri River to Salt Lake Valley during that period with ox or mule-driven wagons, or walking and pushing handcars. With the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad in the spring of 1869, this mode of travel became a thing of the past and the long, tedious and trying journey, undertaken by thousands of men, women and children, for the purpose of gathering with the Saints, was no longer needed. Another estimated 6,000 member of the LDS Church lost their lives on the journey and were laid to rest on the way. But those who survived laid the foundation of an empire in the western wilds and fulfilled the prophecy of the Prophet Joseph Smith that many of the Saints would live to go and assist in making settlements and build cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. -- Courtesy Andrew Jenson, by Mrs. M.C. Pye.

The Ship "BROOKLYN" {org} {LDS Members left Brooklyn (NY) 4 Feb 1846 -- arrived Yorba Buena (CA) 29 Jul 1846} {see ship ROSTER}

War with Mexico {1846-1847}, i.e. { The Morman Battalion {org} -- {see ROSTER}; "The Valiant" periodical pub'l on the Mormon Battalion, (Fall 2003 & Spring 2004 issues) {BYU On-line scanned images}

**Winter Quarters, Nebraska 1847.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Winter Quarters.	Apr 14, 1847	"Brigham Young Pioneer Company"	148 { See ROSTER }	72	Jul 24, 1847
ditto	Jun 18, 1847	Daniel Spencer, Capt. 1st Hundred. Peregrin Sessions, Capt. 1st Fifty. Ira Eldredge, Capt. 2nd Fifty.	-- 192 { See ROSTER } 190 { See ROSTER }	-- 75. 76.	-- Sep 24-25, 1847 Sep 19, 1847
ditto	Jun 17, 1847	Edward Hunter, Capt. 2nd Hundred. Joseph Horne, Capt. 1st Fifty. Jacob Foutz, Capt. 2nd Fifty.	-- 208 { See ROSTER } 157 { See ROSTER }	-- 72. 67.	-- Sep 29, 1847 Oct 1, 1847
ditto	Jun 17, 1847	Jedediah M. Grant, Capt. 3rd Hundred. Joseph B. Noble, Capt. 1st Fifty. Willard Snow, Capt. 2nd Fifty.	-- 171 { See ROSTER } 167 { See ROSTER }	-- . .	-- Oct 2, 1847 Oct 4?, 1847.
ditto	Jun 17, 1847	Abraham O. Smoot, Capt. 4th Hundred. George B. Wallace, Capt. 1st Fifty. Samuel Russell, Capt. 2nd Fifty.	-- 223 { See ROSTER } 95 { See ROSTER }	-- . .	Sep 25, 1847 Sep 25, 1847.
ditto	Jun 17, 1847	Charles C. Rich, Capt. of the Guard.	126 {See ROSTER }	--	Oct 2, 1847.

**Winter Quarters, Nebraska 1848.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Winter Quarters.	May 25, 1848	Brigham Young, Capt. 1st Division.	1220 {see Company}	--	Sep 21, 1848.
ditto	May 29, 1848	Heber C. Kimball, Capt. 2nd Division.	662	--	Sep 23, 1848.
ditto	Jun 30, 1848	Willard Richards, Capt. 3rd Division.	526	--	Oct 19, 1948.

**Kanesville, Iowa 1849.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Kanesville, Iowa.	Apr 19, 1849.	Howard Egan Ind. Co.	57	22	Aug 7, 1849.
ditto	Jun 6, 1849.	Orson Spencer.	?	100	Sep 22, 1849.
ditto	Jul 4, 1849.	George A. Smith & Ezra T. Benson.	447	120	Oct 27, 1849.
ditto	Jul 10, 1849.	Silas Richards	?	?	Oct 12, 1849.
ditto.	Jul 12, 1849.	Allen Taylor	500 {see Company}	100	Oct 1, 1849.

**Kanesville, Iowa 1850.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Kanesville, Iowa.	Jun 3, 1850.	Milo Andrus	206	51	Aug 30, 1850.
ditto	Jun 7, 1850.	Benjamin Hawkins.	?	150	Sep 9, 1850.
ditto	Jun 12, 1850.	Aaron Johnson.	?	?	Sep 12, 1850.
ditto	Jun ?, 1850.	James Pace.	?	100	Sep 20, 1850.
ditto	Jun 15, 1850.	Joseph Young.	? {see Company}	42	Oct 1, 1850.
ditto	Jun 15, 1850.	Warren Foote.	? {see Company}	105	Sep 17, 1850.
ditto	Jun 15, 1850.	David Evans.	?	54	Sep 13, 1850.
ditto	Jun 20, 1850.	Wilford Woodruff.	?	44	Oct 14,1850.
ditto	Jun 20, 1850.	Stephen Markham.	?	50	Oct 1, 1850.
ditto	Jul 4, 1850.	Edward Hunter, (P.E.Fund).	261	67	Oct 13, 1850.

**Kanesville, Iowa 1851.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Kanesville, Iowa.	1851.	George W. Oman.	?	?	Sep 1, 1851.
ditto	May 1, 1851	John G. Smith.	?	150	Sep 23, 1851.
ditto	1851	Morris Phelps	?	?	Sep 28, 1851.
ditto	Jun 21, 1851	James W. Cummings.	? {see Company}	100	Oct 5?, 1851.
ditto	Jun 29, 1851	Easton Kelsey	?	100	Sep 23, 1851.
ditto	Jul 7, 1851.	John Brown, (P.E.Fund).	?	50	Sep 28, 1851.

**Kanesville, Iowa 1852.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Kanesville, Iowa.	May 15, 1852	Benjamin Gardner	241	45	Sep 24, 1851.
ditto	May 29, 1852	James J. Jepson		?	Sep 10, 1852.
ditto	May 30, 1852	James W. Bay	190	?	Aug 13, 1852.
ditto	Jun 4, 1852	Thomas Marsden	?	10	Sep 3, 1852.
ditto	Jun 7, 1852	Thomas D. Howell	200	?	Sep 27, 1852.
ditto	Jun 10, 1852	Joseph Outhouse	225	50	Sep 6, 1852.
ditto	Jun, 1852	John Tidwell	340	32	Sep 15, 1852.
ditto	Jun, 1852	Henry B. M. Jolley	340	?	Sep 15, 1852.
ditto	Jun, 1852	David Wood	260	?	Oct 1, 1852.
ditto	Jun, 1852	Isaac W. Stewart	245	?	Aug 28, 1852.
ditto	Jun, 1852	James McGaw	239	54	Sep 20, 1852.
ditto	Jun, 1852	Harmon Cutler	262	63	Sep, 1852.
ditto	Jun 1852	Uriah Curtis	365 {see Company}	?	Oct 1, 1852.
ditto	Jun 1852	Isaac Bullock	175 {see Company}	?	Sep 21, 1852.
ditto	Jun 1852	James C. Snow	250 {see Company}	?	Oct 9, 1852.
ditto	Jun 1852	Henry W. Miller	220	?	Sep 21, 1852.
ditto	Jun, 1852	Abraham O. Smoot, (P.E.Fund).	250	31	Sep 3, 1852.
ditto	Jul 5, 1852	John B. Walker	250	?	Oct 5, 1852.
ditto	Jul, 1852	Robert Weimer	230	?	Sep 15, 1852.
ditto	Jul, 1852	Eli B. Kelsey	100	?	Oct 16, 1852
ditto	Jul, 1852	Allen Weeks	110	?	October, 1852

**Kanesville, Keokuk & Six Mile Grove,1853.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Six Mile Grove, Iowa	Jun 1, 1853	David Wilkin	122	28	Sep, 1853.
ditto	Jun 9, 1853	John A. Miller & John W. Cooley.	282 {see Company}	70	Sep 9, 1853.
Kanesville, Iowa	Jun, 1853	Moses Clawson	295	56	Sep 15, 1853.
ditto	Jun 3, 1853	Claudius V. Spencer, (P.E.Fund)	250 {see Company}	40	Sep, 1853.
ditto	Jul 11, 1853	Joseph W. Young	321	42	Oct 10, 1853.
ditto	Jul 13, 1853	Vincent Shurtliff	?	?	Sep 30, 1853.
ditto	Jul 14, 1853	Appleton M. Harmon	200	22	Oct 16, 1853.
Keokuk, Iowa	May 18, 1853	Jesse W. Crosby	79	12	Sep 10, 1853
ditto	May 21, 1853	John E. Forsgren	294	34	Sep 30, 1853
ditto	Jun 3, 1853	Jacob Gates	262	38	Sep 26, 1853
ditto	Jun 3, 1853	Cyrus H. Wheelock	400 {see Company}	52	Oct 16, 1853.
ditto	Jul 1, 1853	Henry Ettleman	40	11	Oct 1, 1853
ditto	Jul 1, 1853	John Brown	228	?	Oct 17, 1853

**Kansas City (Westport), Missouri, 1854.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Westport, Missouri	Jun 15, 1854	Hans Peter Olsen	550	69	Oct 5, 1854
ditto	Jun 16, 1854	Job Smith	217	45	Sep 23?, 1854
ditto	Jun 17, 1854	James Brown, (P.E.Fund).	300	42	Oct 3, 1854
ditto	Jun 17, 1854	Darwin Richardson, (P.E.Fund).	300	40	Sep 30, 1854
ditto	Jul 2, 1854	Daniel Garn, (P.E.Fund).	447	40	Oct 1, 1854
ditto	Jul, 1854	Ezra T, Benson	(mostly freight)	?	Oct 3, 1854
ditto	Jul, 1854	William Empey	?	45	Oct 24, 1854
ditto	Jul 14, 1854	Robert L. Campbell	400	?	Oct 28, 1854

**Mormon Grove, Kansas, 1855.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Mormon Grove, KS	Jun 7, 1855	John Hindley	206	46	Sep 3, 1855
ditto	Jun 13, 1855	Jacob F. Secrist	368	51	Sep 1, 1855
ditto	Jun 15, 1855	Seth M. Blair	89	38	Sep 11?, 1855
ditto	Jul 1, 1855	Richard Ballantyne, (P.E.Fund).	402 {see Company}	45	Sep 25, 1855
ditto	Jul 4, 1855	Moses F. Thurston	134	29	Sep 28, 1855
ditto	Jul 28, 1855	C.A. Harper	305	39	Oct 29, 1855
ditto	Jul 31, 1855	Isaac Allred	61	34	Nov 2, 1855
ditto	Aug 5, 1855	Milo Andrus, (P.E.Fund).	452 {see Company}	48	Oct 24, 1855

SHIP:	Departure	Arrival	Total Souls	Resources:
'Emerald Isle'	Departed Liverpool-- Nov 30, 1855	Arrived NY, Dec 29, 1855	350	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691. NY Pass.Lists, NARA M261: FHL Film: 0175515.
'John J. Body'	Departed Liverpool-- Dec 12, 1855.	Arrived NY, Feb 16, 1856	512	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691. NY Pass.Lists, NARA M261: FHL Film: 0175516.
'Caravan'	Departed Liverpool-- Feb 19?, 1856	Arrived NY, Mar 27, 1856	457	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691. NY Pass.Lists, NARA M261: FHL Film: 0175516.
'Enoch Train'	Departed Liverpool-- Mar 23, 1856	Arrived Boston, Apr 30, 1856	534	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691.
'Samuel Curling"	Departed Liverpool-- Apr 19, 1856	Arrived Boston, May 23, 1856.	707	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691.
'Thornton.'	Departed Liverpool-- May 4, 1856	Arrived NY, Jun 14, 1856.	764	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691. NY Pass.Lists, NARA M261: FHL Film: 0175516.
'Horizon'	Departed Liverpool-- May 25, 1856	Arrived Boston, Jun 20, 1856.	856	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691.
'Wellfleet'	Departed Liverpool-- May 31, 1856	Arrived Boston, Jul 13, 1856	146	LDS Euro Msn Emig. Registers: FHL Film: 0025691.

(note: Distance from Iowa City to Florence 275 miles, took abt. 4 months to cross plains from Iowa City to SLC.)

**Florence (Nebraska) and Iowa City (Iowa), 1856.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons/Handcarts	Arrival in SLC
Florence, NE	Jun 5, 1856	Philemon C. Merrill	200	50	Aug, 13-18, 1856.
ditto	Jun 10, 1856	Knud Peterson	320	60	Sep 20, 1856.
ditto	Jun 15, 1856	John Banks	300	60	Oct 1, 1856.
Iowa City, IA	Jun 9, 1856 (left Florence, Jul 20, 1856)	Edmund Ellsworth (37), Capt. of 1st Handcart Co.	275 { See Roster1 }	4 / 52	Sep 26, 1856 (13 deaths enroute)
ditto	Jun 11, 1856 (left Florence, Jul 24, 1856)	Daniel D. McArthur (36), Capt. of 2nd Handcart Co.	222 { See Roster2 }	4 / 48	Sep 26, 1856. (7 deaths enroute)
ditto	Jun 23, 1856 (left Florence, Jul 30, 1856)	Edward Bunker (33), Capt. of 3rd Handcart Co.	300 { See Roster3 }	5 / 60	Oct 2, 1856. (7 deaths enroute)
ditto	Jul 15, 1856 (left Florence, Aug 17, 1856)	James G. Willie (41), Capt. of 4th Handcart Co.	500 { See Roster4 }	5 / 120	Nov 9, 1856. (67 deaths enroute)
ditto	Jul 28, 1856 (left Florence, Aug 27, 1856)	Edward Martin (38), Capt. of 5th Handcart Co.	575 { See Roster5 }	7 / 146	Nov 30, 1856.
ditto	Jul 30, 1856	William B. Hodgetts	150	33	Dec 10-15, 1856
ditto	Aug 1, 1856	John A. Hunt	300	56	Dec 10-15, 1856

**Florence (Nebraska) & Iowa City (Iowa), & Texas, 1857.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons/Handcarts	Arrival in SLC
Florence, NE	Jun 13, 1857	William Walker	86 {see Company}	28	Sep 4, 1857.
Iowa City, IA	May 22, 1857	Israel Evans (29), Capt. of 6th Handcart Co.	149 { See Roster6 }	1 / 28	Sep 11, 1857
ditto	Jun, 1857	Jesse B. Martin	192	34	Sep 12, 1857
ditto	Jun 15, 1857	Christian Christiansen (33), Capt. of 7th Handcart Co.	330 { See Roster7 }	3 / 68	Sep 13, 1857
ditto	Jun 15, 1857	Matthias Cowley	198	31	Sep 13, 1857
ditto	Jun, 1857	Jacob Hoffheins	204	41	Sep 21, 1857.
ditto	Jun, 1857	William G. Young	55	19	Sep 26, 1857
Texas	Jul 1857	Homer Duncan	?	?	Sep 14 & 20, 1857.

**Florence (Nebraska), 1859.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons / Handcarts	Arrival in SLC
Florence, NE	Jun 9, 1859	George Rowley (31), Capt. of 8th Handcart Co.	255 { See Roster8 }	8 / 60	Sep 4, 1859
ditto	Jun 13, 1859	James Brown, III	387	66	Aug 29, 1859
ditto	Jun, 1859	Horton D. Haight	154	71	Sep 1, 1859
ditto	Jun 26, 1859	Edward Stevenson	285	54	Sep 16, 1859
ditto	Jun 28, 1859	Robert F. Neslen	380 {see Company}	56	Sep 15, 1859

**Florence (Nebraska), 1860.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons / Handcarts	Arrival in SLC
Florence, NE	May 30, 1860	Warren Walling	160	30	Aug 9, 1860
ditto	Jun 1860	Franklin Brown	60	abt.10	Aug 27, 1860
ditto	Jun 6, 1860	Daniel Robinson (29), Capt. of 9th Handcart Co.	235 { See Roster9 }	6 / 43	Aug 27, 1860
ditto	Jun 15, 1860	John Smith	359	39	Sep 1, 1860
ditto	Jun 17, 1860	James D. Ross	249	36	Sep 3?, 1860
ditto	Jun 19, 1860	Jesse Murphy	279	40	Aug 30, 1860
ditto	Jul 3, 1860	John Taylor	123	?	Sep 17, 1860
ditto	Jul 6, 1860	Oscar O. Stoddard (?), Capt. of 10th Handcart Co.	126 { See Roster10 }	6 / 22	Sep 24, 1860
ditto	Jul 20, 1860	William Budge	400	55	Oct 5, 1860
ditto	Jul 23, 1860	Joseph W. Young	100	50	Oct 3?, 1860

**Florence (Nebraska), 1861.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Florence, NE	May 29, 1861	David H. Cannon	225	57	Aug 16, 1861
ditto	Jun 7, 1861	Job Pingree	abt.150	36	Aug 2?, 1861
ditto	Jun 20, 1861	Peter Ranck	abt.100	20	Sep 8, 1861
ditto	Jun 25, 1861	Homer Duncan	258 {see Company}	47	Sep 13, 1861
ditto	Jun 30, 1861	Ira Eldredge	abt.300	70	Aug 22, 1861
ditto	Jul, 1861	Milo Andrus	620	38	Sep 12, 1861
ditto	Jul, 1861	Thomas Woolley	abt.150	30	Sep, 1861
ditto	Jul, 1861	John R. Murdock	abt.500	33	Sep 12, 1861
ditto	Jul 9, 1861	Joseph Horne	abt.350	62	Sep 13, 1861
ditto	Jul 11, 1861	Joseph W. Young, Ancel P. Harmon, Heber P. Kimball	abt.300	90	Sep 23, 1861
ditto	Jul 13, 1861	Samul A. Woolley, Joseph Porter	338	70	Sep 22, 1861
ditto	Jul 16, 1861	Sixtus E. Johnson	200	52	Sep 27, 1861

**Florence (Nebraska), 1862.**
Outfitting Station	Date of Departure	Capt. of Company	Total Souls	Wagons	Arrival in SLC
Florence, NE	Jun 17, 1862	Lewis Brunson	212	48	Aug 29, 1862
ditto	Jul, 1862	James Wareham	250	46	Sep 26, 1862
ditto	Jul 14, 1862	Christian A. Madsen	264	40	Sep 23, 1862
ditto	Jul 14, 1862	Ola N. Liljenquist	250	40	Sep 23, 1862
ditto	Jul 22, 1862	Homer Duncan	500	60	Sep 24, 1862
ditto	Jul 28, 1862	John R. Murdock	700 {see Company}	65	Oct, 1862
ditto	Jul 28, 1862	James S. Brown	200	46	Oct, 1862
ditto	Jul 29, 1862	Joseph Horne	570	52	Oct, 1862
ditto	Jul 30, 1862	Isaac Canfield	120	abt.20	Oct 16, 1862
ditto	Aug, 1862	Ancel P. Harmon	500	abt.60	Oct 5, 1862
ditto	Aug 8, 1862	Henry W. Miller	665 {see Company}	60	Oct 17, 1862
ditto	Aug, 1862	Horton D. Haight	650	abt.60	Oct 19, 1862
ditto	Aug 14, 1862	William H. Dame	150	50	Oct 29, 1862