START UPON A MISSION UNDER DISTRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES—INCIDENTS OF THE JOURNEY—A DRUNKEN DOCTOR GIVES ME A TABLE-SPOONFUL OF MORPHINE—MY LIFE SAVED THROUGH THE PRAYER OF FAITH—BRETHREN LEAVE ME TO PROCEED TO KIRTLAND—THEIR FEAR THAT I WOULD DIE—I PREDICT THAT I WOULD RECOVER AND REACH KIRTLAND BEFORE THEM.

On the 4th of August, the Saints met to partake of the sacrament, and received an exhortation from the Prophet, impressing upon them the necessity of being righteous and clean of heart before the Lord, and commanding the Twelve to go forth without purse or scrip; according to the revelations of Jesus Christ.

My son David Patten was born during the night of the 23d in the log cabin which I had put up at the end of the Bozier house, and during the night we had a heavy thunder storm, but the hand of the Lord was over us.

As soon as my wife was able, I moved my family into the log house that I had built. Being without a house, Brother Orson Pratt moved his family in with mine.

On the 4th of September, President Brigham Young left his home at Montrose to start upon his mission to England. He was so sick that he was unable to go to the river, a distance of thirty rods, without assistance. After he had crossed the river, he rode behind Israel Barlow on his horse to my house, where he continued sick until the 18th. He left his wife sick with a babe only ten days old, and all his other children were sick and unable to wait upon one another. Not one of them was able to go to the well for a pail of water, and they were without a single change of clothes, for the mob in Missouri had taken nearly all he had.

On the 17th, Sister Mary Ann Young got a boy to carry her up in his wagon to my house, that she might nurse and comfort Brother Brigham to the hour of starting.

On the 18th, Charles Hubbard sent a boy with a wagon and span of horses to my house to start us on our journey. Our trunks were put into the wagon by some of the brethren who had come to bid us farewell.

I went to my bed and shook hands with my wife, who was then shaking with the ague, and had two of our children lying sick by her side. I embraced her and my children, and bade them farewell. The only child well was little Heber Parley, and it was with difficulty that he could carry a couple of quarts of water at a time, to assist in quenching their thirst.

With some difficulty we got into the wagon and started down the hill about ten rods. It seemed to me as though my very inmost parts would melt within me at the thought of leaving my family in such a condition, as it were almost in the arms of death. I felt as though I could scarcely endure it. I said to the teamster "hold up!" then turning to Brother Brigham I added, "This is pretty tough, but let's rise, and give them a cheer." We arose, and swinging our hats three times over our heads, we cried, "Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for Israel!"

My wife, hearing the noise, arose from her bed and came to the door to see what was up. She had a smile on her face. She and Sister Young then cried out to us, "Good bye; God bless you!" We returned the compliment, and were pleased to see that they were so cheerful. We then told the driver to go ahead.

After this I felt a spirit of joy and gratitude at having the satisfaction of seeing my wife standing upon her feet, instead of leaving her in bed, knowing well that I should not see her again for two or three years.

We were without purse or scrip, and were carried across the prairie, about fourteen miles, to a shanty near the railway, where Brother O. M. Duell lived.

On arriving there, we were unable to carry our small trunks into the house, and Sister Duell, seeing our feeble condition, assisted the boy to carry them in. We were very much fatigued, and as soon as we got into the house Sister Duell made us a cup of tea; which revived us, and prepared a bed for us on a one-legged bedstead in a corner of the house, having two poles running from the house logs to the leg.

In the course of the night our bedstead broke through, and we found ourselves on the floor, between the poles and the side of the house.

The following day Brother Duell took us in his wagon to Lima, about twelve miles, when he left us. He gave each of us a dollar to assist us on our journey. Brother Bidwell then carried us in his wagon to John A. Mikesell's, near Quincy, about twenty miles.

The fatigue of this day's journey was too much for our feeble health; we were prostrated, and obliged to tarry a few days in Quincy to recruit.

The brethren preached a few times in a meeting house close to the Congregational church. The members of the latter church were in the habit of commencing their meetings at different hours from the brethren, but they took a notion to disturb us, by ringing their bell furiously after we had commenced our meetings. At one time Elder John E. Page preached so loud as to drown the noise of the bell, and this brought some hundreds, who otherwise would not have come, to meeting.

I was prostrate with the chills and fever, and stayed most of the time at the house of Sisters Laura and Abigail Pitkin, who bestowed every kindness upon me they possibly could. Dr. Orlando Hovey, and Sister Staley and her daughter were also very kind in administering to me in my feeble condition.

We left Quincy September 25th, feeling much better. My sorrow was great to see so many of our brethren there sick and dying, in consequence of being driven and exposed to hunger and cold.

Brother Lyman Wight took us in a one-horse wagon to Brother Charles C. Rich's, at Burton; where we stayed through the night. Brother Wight predicted many good things, and left this blessing with us, when he bade us farewell.

The following day while Brother Rich was taking us to Brother Wilbur's, the chills came on me again, and I suffered much pain and fatigue.

On the 27th, Brother Wilbur took us in a buggy about twenty-five miles to the house of James Allred, in Pittsfield, and the following day Father Allred conveyed us to the place where Brother Harlow Redfield lived, where we preached to a small branch of the Church on Sunday, the 29th.

On the 30th, Brother Rodgers carried Brother Brigham to Brother Decker's, and me to the house of Mr. Roswell Murray, my father-in-law. They were living within a few rods of each other, near Winchester, in Scott County.

Here we also found a few brethren in the Church, who had been smitten and robbed of their property in Missouri, but were once more in comfortable circumstances and rejoicing in the Lord.

On the 1st of October, we were conveyed to Lorenzo D. Young's, where we remained and recruited our strength until the 4th, when he conveyed us to Jacksonville.

On the 5th, a sister in the Church hired a horse and buggy to take us to Springfield, a distance of thirty-five miles, and Brother Babcock drove for us. There we were kindly received by brethren, and nursed. Brother Brigham being confined to his bed by sickness, Brother Libeus T. Coon, who was practicing medicine, waited upon him. Here we found Brothers G. A. Smith, T. Turley and R. Hedlock.

I went from house to house strengthening and comforting the brethren, and teaching them the things of the kingdom. I was so far recovered that I preached on the Sabbath, which caused a great feeling of love towards us. The Saints got a two horse wagon and harness for us, for which they paid fifty-five dollars, and also collected thirty-five dollars in money for the company. Judge Adams, of the supreme court, took me to his house. I stayed with him three nights and the greater part of three days, and he gave me five dollars when I left.

While we remained at Springfield, the sisters fitted up a bed in the wagon for Brother Brigham to ride on, as he was unable to sit up.

On the 11th of October, I resumed my journey, in company with Brothers Young, Turley, Smith and Hedlock.

We traveled eight miles and put up at the house of Father Draper. When we went into the house, Brother George A. Smith, while stooping down to warm at the fire, dropped a small flask bottle, containing tonic bitters, out of his pocket on the hearth, and broke it. At this occurrence, Father Draper was very much astonished, and said, "You are a pretty set of Apostles, to be carrying a bottle of whisky with you!"

We explained to him that the bottle contained some bitters which the brethren at Springfield had prepared for Brother George A., because of his sickness. This appeased his righteous soul, so that he consented to allow us to stay through the night.

On the following day, we pursued our journey towards Terre Haute, most of the brethren being very sick. Owing to the bad roads, I walked most of the way. At might I slept in a wagon and caught cold. The next morning I had to go till twelve o'clock before I had anything to eat, and then it was transparent pork and corn dodger. My health again began to fail. The wagon broke down twice and the chills came on me about two in the afternoon and held me till night, then the fever held me all night. I had the chills and fever three days, and lost my appetite. The third chill was so severe that it seemed as though I could not live till night.

We arrived at Terre Haute about dusk on the 17th. Brother Young and I put up at Dr. Modisett's, and the other brethren and Father Murray, my father-in-law, who had accompanied us on a visit to his friends in the east, stayed at Milton Stowe's, who lived in one of the doctor's houses. In the evening the doctor went to see them, as they were quite ill, and Brother Stowe was very poor. The doctor expressed great sympathy for them when he returned to his house, * * seeing them in ill health and lying on a straw bed on the floor. He shed many tears at thoughts of the brethren going under such suffering circumstances upon such a long mission; but he did not have quite sympathy enough to buy them a chicken to make them some broth, or even give them a shilling, although he was worth four or five hundred thousand dollars. He said his taxes amounted to over four hundred dollars a year.

In the evening I became very ill. The doctor said he could give me something that would do me good and relieve me of my distress, and I would probably get a nap; but the old man was so drunk that he did not know what he did, and he gave me a table-spoonfull of morphine. His wife saw him pour it out; but dared not say a word, although she believed it would kill me.

In a few minutes after I took it, I straightened up in my chair, complaining of feeling very strangely, and as though I wanted to lie down. On my attempting to go to the bed, I reeled and fell to the floor. There was hardly a breath of life in my body. Brother Brigham rolled me over on my back, put a pillow under my head and inquired of the doctor what he had given me, and then learned that he had given me morphine. I lay there for a long time; when I came to, Brother Brigham was attending to me with a fatherly care, and manifesting much anxiety in my behalf. I remarked, "Don't be scared; for I shan't die."

In a short time after, he got me on the bed, and nursed me through the night. I commenced vomiting and continued doing so most of the night. He changed my under-clothes five times, and washed me each time previous to changing, as I was covered with a cold sweat. It was through the closest attention of Brother Young and the family that my life was preserved through the night. I was scarcely able to speak so as to be understood.

In the morning, Brothers Smith, Turley, Hedlock and Father Murray came to see us, and the brethren laid their hands upon me and prayed for me. When they left they wept like children. Father Murray felt very sorrowful. Said he, "We shall never see Heber again; he will die." I looked up at them and said, "Never mind, brethren; go ahead, for Brother Brigham and I will reach Kirtland before you will." Brother Brigham gave them all the money we had except five dollars, and told them to take good care of the team and make all possible speed to Kirtland. They started the same day. In about an hour after their departure I arose from my bed.