RETURN OF THE PIONEERS TO WINTER QUARTERS, 1847.

In Retrospect.—First Crop of Potatoes Planted.—The Beginning of Irrigation.—First Sunday.—Explorations South to Utah Lake.—Choice of Temple Block.—Address by Brigham Young.—Return to Winter Quarters.—Meet the Second Company of Pioneers.—Encounter with the Indians.—Reach Winter Quarters, Oct. 31, 1847.—First Presidency Organized, Dec. 27, 1847.

As the valley presented itself to view before the gaze of this sturdy band of pioneers, President Young expressed his full satisfaction with the place. The Lord had shown him the view before in a vision; and now as he lay upon his bed (still physically indisposed) in Elder Woodruff's carriage, the Lord also showed him many things concerning the future of the valley; and with one united testimony, the pioneer company felt that they had reached their destination. They could now rest the soles of their feet in peace and be free from fury of angry mobs.

That was sixty years ago; and in view of the great change which has been brought about, we are led to exclaim, "What hath God wrought!" Then, sage-brush plain, with no inhabitants excepting the wandering Lamanite, not a building, not a fence, not a furrow, the silence of a barren desert reigned supreme. To-day, a mighty city of 100,000 people stands, with a Temple of the Lord, many houses of worship and of learning, modern inventions, and all other evidences of civilization. It is one of the most beautiful cities in all the land, where the weary traveler and the home-seeker from nearly every land and clime have found a place of rest. What a debt of gratitude these busy thousands owe to the pioneers of sixty years ago will not be fully known until they are quickened by a perfect understanding of man's relationship to God and man, and the purposes of a Supreme Being.

Orson Pratt, Erastus Snow, and a number of others had entered the valley two days before and had already plowed by the side of two small streams nearly five acres of land. After gazing a short time over the valley, the company moved over the table-land into the valley about four miles to the encampment of their brethren. Brother Woodruff had one-half bushel of potatoes, and before eating his dinner, he planted them in the earth and hoped, by the blessings of the Lord, to save enough for seed the following year.

There were no idlers in the camp, all were busy as bees. They dammed up one creek, and before night had spread the water over a large tract and irrigated the parched ground. This was the beginning of irrigation in the Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1847. Since then the work of irrigation has spread abroad in all the arid regions of the West from Nebraska to California. The various methods of utilizing the water have been studied and improved. Irrigation has occupied the attention of great minds assembled in Congresses to discuss the subject, and has been considered in the legislative halls of the nation; but the pioneers in this enterprise were the little band of faithful and great men led by the Prophet Brigham Young to the Valleys of the Mountains.

Of the future, Elder Woodruff records the meditations of their minds on that occasion thus: "Thoughts of pleasant meditations ran in rapid succession through our minds in anticipation that not many years hence the House of God would be established in the mountains and be exalted above the hills, while the valleys would be converted into orchards, vineyards, and fields planted with cities, and the Standard of Zion be unfurled for the gathering of the nations." Such positive utterances show how deeply convinced were the pioneers that God had led them to the valley. They knew the future in general, as well as we of to-day know the past in detail. They said that the Lord had shown it unto them, and the fulfillment of their predictions proves that He did. It would indeed be a wilful unbelief on the part of the descendants of these pioneers to doubt the inspiration which guided President Young and his associates in the settlement of the Salt Lake Valley.

Toward the evening of the 24th, as if to give hope of future moisture, the Lord sent a beautiful thunder shower, and it rained for a short time over the entire valley. President Woodruff says: "We felt thankful for this, as it was the general opinion that it never rained in the valley during the summer season." Thus closed the day, the great Pioneer Day, to be celebrated each year by thousands and indeed by millions yet unborn.

The following day was Sunday, and the pioneers met for worship at about 10 a. m. The first sermon delivered in the valley was by President Geo. A. Smith, and Bro. Woodruff writes that, "It was an interesting discourse."

President Heber C. Kimball and Ezra T. Benson also spoke in the forenoon.

At 2 p. m., the Sacrament was administered. The congregation was addressed by Elders Wilford Woodruff, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, and several others with closing instructions by President Young in which he warned them against breaking the Sabbath. They must not work, fish, or hunt on that day. He warned them against sin of every kind, and thus there was begun the work of God in the Valleys of the Mountains.

On Monday the 26th President Young and several brethren ascended the summit of a mountain on the north which they named Ensign Peak, a name it has borne ever since. Elder Woodruff was the first to gain the summit of the peak. Here they unfurled the American flag, the Ensign of Liberty to the world. It will be remembered that the country then occupied by the Saints was Mexican soil, and was being taken possession of by the Mormon Battalion and pioneers as a future great commonwealth to the credit and honor of the United States.

Elder Woodruff soon became active in exploring the valley, and penetrating southward to the Utah Lake. He came in contact with roaming Indians but found them friendly and desirous of trading with the whites. After exploring a couple of days, and seeing the new land, with here and there a herd of mountain goats, sheep, and antelope, he and his brethren returned to the pioneer encampment.

Four days after the arrival of the pioneers in the Valley, they selected the site upon which to build the Temple of the Lord. President Young called the Twelve together on this important occasion, and all were united in the choice of the Temple Block. Those who were present on that occasion were President Brigham Young, Elders Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Amasa Lyman, and Ezra T. Benson.

At that time it was moved and carried that the Temple lot should contain forty acres, but later it was deemed too large a tract to care for properly, and the lot was limited to the ten acre block upon which the Temple now stands.

The city was laid out in blocks of ten acres, divided into eight lots, of equal size, one and a fourth acres in each. President Young expressed a desire that the houses be built in the center of the lot, so that in case of fire the neighbors' houses would not be endangered, being so far apart. The design of President Young was that no speculation in lands by the brethren should be allowed whereby the first comers should enrich themselves at the expense of their brethren who should follow.

Close up to the city limits, the farming land was parceled out in five acre plats, joining them a little farther out into ten acres, and outside of these, twenty acre fields. This arrangement prevented any one man from holding a large tract near the city, and by so doing prevented speculation by the individual to the detriment of the whole community.

The city could easily extend its borders without purchasing much land from any one individual. In other words, the interest of the whole was to be uppermost in the mind of each man, and the spirit of greed and avarice seldom asserted itself on the part of those noble founders of Utah's great commonwealth.

I have heard my respected step-father, Jesse W. Fox, say that he surveyed many of the cities and much of the land between Logan and St. George, a distance of over 400 miles, and the desire to select a town lot or a farm lot in any of the places for speculative purposes never entered his heart; and if any one asked him to select one for him he promptly refused, saying that those who owned the land should be the builders on it and that no one by his assistance should ever speculate at the expense of the poor Saints coming to the Valley to serve God and keep His commandments.

This was the spirit and sentiment of President Young, Elder Woodruff, and all those noble men, and it was generally shared throughout all the camp of Israel. Indeed, it is the spirit of the Gospel of Christ.

On July 29th, about one hundred and forty of the Mormon Battalion came into camp with one hundred Saints from Mississippi. Captains Brown, Higgins, and Lieutenant Willis of the Battalion were among the number. They were met about four miles out by President Young and party, and received from them a hearty welcome to the home of the Saints.

They brought with them sixty wagons, one hundred head of horses and mules, three hundred head of cattle, all of which served to strengthen very materially the settlement of the Saints. While some were exploring, others were plowing and planting so that in less than a week from the 24th of July they had fields planted with potatoes, corn, beans, peas, and buckwheat.

What a busy, hopeful, energetic scene the Pioneer Camp must have presented at that time! They visited the warm and hot sulphur springs on the north, and bathed in the latter.

A number of the Utah Indians visited the camp, and the subject of the course to be pursued in dealing with them was discussed, and the counsel to feed them and not fight them has been followed by the Latter-day Saints from that day to the present. Had this policy been pursued by all the whites, much blood and treasure would have been saved to the nation; and it is safe to say that many lives and much property have been saved the people by the course of peace and love pursued by the Latter-day Saints toward their red brethren.

Sunday, August 1st, the Saints assembled for worship and were edified by discourses from Elders Kimball, Pratt, Lyman, and others. Elder Willard Richards read a letter from the commanding officers of the Battalion highly commending the deportment of the Mormon volunteers in the American service. The revelation given to President Young at Winter Quarters was read to the assembly and accepted as the word of the Lord by their unanimous vote.

In the evening the Twelve met in council and decided that Brother Ezra T. Benson and three others should return east until they met the company following the pioneers, ascertain their welfare, and bring on the mail.

Elder Woodruff joined with Elder Geo. A. Smith in cutting and hauling logs for their cabins while awaiting also the preparation of adobes for their more permanent dwellings. Brother Woodruff reports his first day at chopping logs as very fatiguing. Many of the horses belonging to the pioneers were exposed to the Indians, but none was stolen, "and this," writes Elder Woodruff, "increased our confidence in the Indians."

About this time President Young felt impressed that he and the brethren of the camp should renew their covenants by baptism. August 6th, the Twelve were rebaptized by President Young. Elder Kimball baptized President Young and the latter confirmed his brethren and re-sealed upon them all their former blessings. Following this, the brethren selected their inheritances. Brother Woodruff's was the corner diagonally across the street from the south-west corner of the Temple Block, facing the east and north.

In the evening Elder Kimball baptized fifty-five members of the camp. Elder Woodruff assisted in their confirmation. August the 8th the general work of rebaptizing continued. Elders Kimball, Snow, Lewis, Goddard, Everett, and Shumway did the baptizing, while President Young and the Twelve confirmed. "This made 288 in all who had been rebaptized during the last three days. The camp assembled as usual at 10 o'clock for public meeting and was addressed by Heber C. Kimball, much to our edification. I followed and was never blessed with greater liberty of speech."

The practice of the Saints coming into the Valley to renew their covenants by baptism was followed for many years, but later, when the organizations abroad became more perfect, and the Saints came with speedy and direct transportation from their native lands to the stakes of Zion, this practice has been discontinued as not being of the same necessity as in the early pioneer days.

Sunday, August 15th, Elder Woodruff attended the services and reported a lengthy and very interesting discourse by President Brigham Young. On the 11th a little child of Brother Crow was drowned and President Young offered some consoling remarks bearing upon this sad event, and he also spoke upon the resurrection. Much of his discourse was upon the authority of the priesthood, from which we quote a few lines: "Brother Joseph received the Patriarchal or Melchisedek Priesthood from under the hands of Peter, James, and John. From those Apostles Joseph received every power, blessing, and privilege of the highest authority of the Melchisedek Priesthood ever committed to man on the earth. Some have had fears that we had not power to obtain revelations since the death of Joseph, but I want this subject from this time and forever to be set at rest. I want the Church to understand from this day henceforth and forever, that an Apostle is the highest office and authority that there is in the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth. Joseph Smith gave unto me and my brethren, the Twelve, all the priesthood, power, and authority which he held, and those are powers which belong to the Apostleship. We shall take time, and each step the Saints take, let them take time enough to understand it. Everything at Nauvoo went with a rush. We had to build the Temple with the trowel in one hand and the sword in the other, and mobs were upon us all the while, and many crying out, 'Oh! the Temple can't be built.' I told them it should be built. This Church should not fall; and the Lord said if we did not build it we should be rejected as a Church with our dead. Why did He say it? Because the Saints were becoming slothful and covetous, and would spend their means upon fine houses for themselves before they would put it into a House of the Lord; but we went at it and finished it and turned it over into the hands of the Lord in spite of earth and hell, and the brethren were so faithful that we labored day and night to give them their endowments.

"When I look upon the great work the elders of Israel have to perform, and look around upon them, and see them vain and foolish, it makes me sorrowful. They forget their calling. O, ye elders of Israel, think for a moment what manner of persons ought ye to be—men who hold the priesthood and keys of salvation, who have power to go to the nations of the earth and say to the people, 'We have salvation for you if you will receive it, and celestial glory awaits you; or condemnation, if you reject it.' It is no trifling affair to have power put into your hands to deal with the eternal destinies of the sons and daughters of Adam who form the nations of the earth."

In the afternoon Elders Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow edified the people under the influence of the spirit of the Lord. In conference of the leading men, they gave to the city the name of "The City of the Great Salt Lake." It has since been abbreviated to Salt Lake City. The stream running westward was given the name of "City Creek," which it still bears; the river on the west, "Western Jordan," to distinguish it from Jordan in Palestine; the two streams from the mountains on the east, "Great Canyon Creek" and "Little Canyon Creek." In the main, these names have been preserved. It was also decided to fence the city, and to appoint a president, and high council for the new stake of Zion.

Elder Woodruff and his associates were occupied until August 26th in setting things in order and preparing for the pioneers' return to Winter Quarters.

On the way, they met Elder Benson as a messenger from the moving camp of Israel, and later on met the camp itself in different bodies, chiefly in charge of Elders Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor. The whole company consisted of 600 wagons. President Woodruff met his father in the train but his step-mother had gone back to Iowa to live with her daughter Emma. On the journey many interesting meetings were held and much choice instruction given and some reproofs meted out, especially by President Brigham Young. It was a constant schooling. Like ancient Israel, the Saints were not free from faults, and needed training and reproving to prepare them for greater things.

Brother Woodruff recorded in his journal nearly all the counsels, teachings, and ministrations of President Young which occurred on the journey. A few incidents of an exciting nature occurred on the route. On the 10th of September, near the Sweet Water, the horses were stolen, and also those belonging to the Saints on their way to the Valley. Of this episode Elder Woodruff writes: "The alarm was given early next morning that a lot of our horses and mules were stolen. Bells were found cut from the horses, also lariats cut off, an arrow picked up, and other signs of Indians were in evidence. The trail was finally found and a company of 200 horsemen started in pursuit of the Indians. It looked gloomy to see so many women and children here in the mountains with their horses and cattle stolen. Thirty horses were taken from the pioneer camps, and twenty from the other camps.

"The company remained together during the day, and in the evening assembled for meeting and was addressed by Orson Pratt. Heber C. Kimball, and Brigham Young. During the evening, two of the brethren returned from the pursuit of the Indians and brought back five of the horses.

"Next morning we parted with our friends who were going West, and those of us who had not lost horses divided with those who had. As we journeyed on, we met the remainder of our brethren returning from the Indian chase, but with no more of the horses that were stolen. The enemy had taken forty three."

Ten days later, on the morning of September 21st, another exciting disturbance with the Indians took place. He writes: "About 9 a. m. the call was made to get our horses. I started for them in the timber, one-half mile from camp. When about two thirds of the way one of the most exciting scenes occurred. I heard several reports of guns in quick succession. At the same time, our guard cried out, 'Indians! Indians!' In less than a minute the timber and bluffs were lined with mounted Indians charging with all speed upon our guard, horses, and camps. They shot at several of the guards but missed them. The Indians took a couple of the guards and tried to carry them off by force, but the guards knocked them down with their fists and escaped. Some of the brethren snapped their guns at the Indians but the guns missed fire and no blood was shed.

"As soon as I heard the report of the guns and the cry of Indians, and saw them driving off horses, and gathering thick and fast upon every hand, I ran to camp with all speed and gave the alarm, calling upon all to gather arms and mount their horses. Brothers Kimball, Rockwood, Matthews, and several others sprang to their horses with guns and pistols in hand and ran to stop the horses the Indians were driving away. One party of Indians had driven about a dozen horses and mules over the hills. Brother Kimball took after them. Two Indians had gone over the bluff with my horse and mule. Brother Rockwood went after them, and at the same time about 20 of our horses came rushing toward camp, frightened by the Indians. With great exertion President Young and one or two others succeeded in getting them stopped and turned them into camp.

"As soon as I arrived in camp, I opened my trunk, took out my belt containing 8 pistol shots, buckled it on as soon as possible, put a saddle and bridle on a broken down horse, for want of a better one, and mounted without spur or whip and gave chase after my own horses. I could not go fast over rough roads with a poor horse, but went as fast as possible. As soon as I began to ascend the bluffs, I saw Indians gathering thick on every hand, closing in between me and the camp. As I passed one Indian, he was priming his gun, but I continued the chase. While going up a ravine with steep bluffs on each side, an avalanche of some thirty Indians rushed down upon me and hedged me in so that I could not get out. Within a few feet of me a large Indian drew a gun on me. I presented a sixshooter at his breast and gave a yell, which I had no sooner done than he gave a whoop and ran up the hill, all the other Indians following his example.

"As soon as my horse and mule got over their fright and were out of sight of the camp, they tried to return to it, and troubled the Indians in driving them. Brother Rockwood soon came near them, and when the Indians found they were overtaken, one stopped and professed friendship, while the other tried to drive the horses on. Brother Rockwood fired his pistol at him and the Indians both ran away, and we soon caught the horses. While this was going on, nearly forty Indians surrounded Brother Kimball and some of the brethren started to his assistance. Indians were also on every side of me until I got to the camp.

"The brethren who were with me having gone to the assistance of Brother Kimball, the camp was left with but few to protect it, so that when I arrived I found one hundred and fifty warriors had gathered around it, all dressed in the greatest war style. The old chief then addressed us and said they were good Sioux, and they had taken us to be Crows or Snakes. When they found they could get no more of our horses and that three had been retaken, they professed friendship. There were eleven horses in all taken by the Indians who numbered about 200 warriors, well mounted, while there were not more than 20 of our men engaged in stopping and retaking the horses. Brother Gould took one of the Indian's horses and an Indian brought back Brother Woolsey's horse and exchanged for him. This, with my two horses, were the only ones taken during the skirmish.

"When the Indians gathered before our camp, they saw that we were armed, and knew that we had treated them kindly on our way to the Valley. The old chief then proposed that we smoke the pipe of peace; and that if our chief, pointing to President Young, would go to their camp, they would smoke with him and give up the horses they had taken. Brother Brigham was not well, and we did not think it prudent for him to go.

"While engaged in the above conversation with the Indians, Brother Kimball who had been out on the chase, returned bare headed, having dropped his hat. He was accompanied by Brother Benson, and in riding into camp rushed his horse through the midst of the Indians. They feared some treachery, or that he was an enemy. They leaped upon their horses and dashed away from the camp, some even running into the creek. As soon as they saw that no harm was intended, they returned and took their places, having a hearty laugh at their fright.

"Brother Kimball volunteered to accompany the chief into his camp, in place of President Young, that we might get our horses. Brother Stephen Markham and myself volunteered to go with him, so we three mounted our horses and started on the expedition. We took a Frenchman with us who could speak a little of the Sioux language.

"The Indians told us their camp was one mile away, but we traveled seven miles over bluffs and valleys before we came in sight of it. The camp was three miles distant yet, so we halted and waited for them. When they came up to us they pitched about one hundred lodges. They numbered about six hundred, men, women, and children, and brought with them about one thousand horses and mules, all of which we supposed were stolen from emigrants and from Indian tribes.

"Their camps presented a very picturesque and amusing appearance. Among their horses we readily recognized our own, which were stolen on the night we camped with Brother Grant's company. We lost nearly fifty head that night and here they were in the drove which these Indians had.

"The old chief called together the war chiefs and placed them on his left hand, and ourselves on his right, and sat down upon the grass, filled a long pipe with kinnikinic, smoked it, and passed it to his chiefs. They smoked and passed it to us, and we each smoked in turn. The old chief then told us to pick out our horses, which we undertook to do, but found it no easy task to pick out a few horses from among one thousand others scattered for nearly two miles up the creek. After a laborious search, we got all but two that were stolen that morning. We spoke to the chief about the two horses they still had in their possession, but while they acknowledged they had them, they gave us no encouragement that they would let us have them upon our arrival at Laramie, but would only let us have one of them now. The brethren presented the chief with three bushels of salt and we then returned to camp. Thus ended the exciting scenes and business of the day."

In a subsequent effort to regain these stolen horses they were unsuccessful. It appears that the Indians did not fulfill their promise, but spirited the horses away where they could not be found.

On the 2nd of October, Brother Woodruff and Luke Johnson started out in search of some buffalo meat. He writes of this as follows: "We started at day break, and the wolves, whose cries had rent the air during the night, were slinking away in all directions as we rode along, and the beautiful swans were floating upon the water, adding charm to the scene. Soon, a large herd of buffaloes was in sight. We left our horses and stole upon them as stealthily as we could. The picket guards were frightened several times, but we managed to reassure them. There is no well disciplined army of men more particular to have an old experienced guard on a close look out than a herd of buffaloes." After an exciting hunt they succeeded in getting only one cow. On the 8th they had a beautiful view of a herd of elk, but did not succeed in procuring any. On the 17th they organized a hunting expedition and succeeded in killing two buffaloes, which supplied them with meat for a short time.

On the 19th they were met by the police from Winter Quarters, who were led by Brother Hosea Stout. These brethren escorted the pioneer company back, and they all arrived on the banks of the Missouri, October 31st, 1847. A few days previous to Brother Woodruff's arrival, Sister Woodruff had given birth to a daughter. Mother and child were doing well, and all were cheerful and happy.

The eventful year of 1847 was now drawing to a close, and ere it became merged into eternity, one more great event had been catalogued in the great book of God's purpose for fulfillment. On December 5th in a council held at Elder Orson Hyde's, President Brigham Young was chosen and sustained by the counsel to be the President, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his first and second counselors. Father John Smith, uncle to the Prophet Joseph, was chosen the following day to be the Presiding Patriarch of the Church. This action was ratified by the unanimous vote of the general conference held in the Log Tabernacle, December 27th, 1847. About 1,000 souls were assembled, and with one united vote sustained these brethren in the First Presidency, and in the Patriarchal office of the Church.

The Apostles present at the council and the conference were Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Amasa Lyman, and Ezra T. Benson. Of the event, President Woodruff wrote in his journal:

"From President Young's teachings we learned that it was necessary to keep up a full organization of the Church, through all time, as far as could be, at least the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, Seventies, and Patriarchs, over the whole Church."

The affairs of the Saints at Winter Quarters were prosperous, and prospects bright for the New Year.