George W. Taggart, a short sketch of his travels with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on their journey from the City of Joseph (Nauvoo) to the (space left blank), which commenced February 1846.

​

On February 17, I left Nauvoo in the company commanded by John Scott, leaving my family, which consisted of my wife, Fanny, and my daughter, Eliza Ann, in Nauvoo. This I did by council of the Church, William Huntington in particular, who was captain (I think) of the 25th hundred, of which I was a member under the first organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into emigrating companies.

​

The first day, the 17th, we crossed the Mississippi River and encamped for the night on the prairie about one mile from the river. The next day, we traveled to Sugar Creek, where we came up with the body of the camp. Here we remained until the 1st of March, during which time I returned to my family in Nauvoo, where I remained for two days. In that time, I received a better title to some property which I held, and I put it into the hands of the trustees of the Church for disposal.

I returned again to camp, where our time was mostly spent in hearing council from the Twelve, gathering provisions, keeping guard around the encampment, cutting wood, and keeping fires—these things being very necessary, especially the latter on account of the very cold and snowy weather.

​

On March 1st, most of the camp started from Sugar Creek and traveled westward over a broken prairie country, with here and there small portions of timber. We suffered considerably in consequence of cold, wet weather and muddy roads, but we were encouraged and strengthened by the Twelve Apostles and other brethren, who kept us in good spirits. I thought I could endure almost anything that might come, although my health had been very bad most of the winter.

We traveled on, working by the way for corn and meat as opportunity presented, and thus the Lord prospered us on our journey and gave us favor with the people that sojourned in the land. The Camp of Israel kept together as much as the nature of the case would admit.

​

The camp crossed the Chariton River about the 20th of March, where we remained about two weeks, during which there was some pretty severe weather. After leaving the Chariton, the camp did not make any considerable stop until arriving at Locust Creek, where we stopped again for about two weeks because of rainy weather and bad roads.

​

During our stay at this place, the company to which I belonged, with myself, accomplished 30 or 40 dollars’ worth of labor for one Fowler, for which we received our pay and kind treatment.

After leaving this place, our company under Captain Scott kept with the body of the camp as much as possible until we arrived at a small brook called Medicine. Here we pitched our tents near a pleasant grove of small timber, which was named Council Grove, for there Israel received counsel from some of the Twelve Apostles.

After stopping at this place for four or five days, between 20 and 30 of Captain Scott’s men, with myself, were sent out into the neighborhood of Grand River in the State of Missouri in search of labor, for the camp was nearly out of provisions.

​

We started about 9 a.m., 16 or 17 in number, with nothing to eat but a small loaf of bread made of parched corn meal and five or six hard biscuits. The rest of the company followed in our track in the afternoon, for they wished to stay at a council held in the morning.

We traveled over the prairie until about 4 p.m., when we came to timber. One of the company was lucky enough to shoot a wild hog, and another a turkey. We were then provided with something for our supper. We encamped for the night in a small point of timber, cooked and ate our meat, called on the Lord, and retired to rest.

​

The next morning, before we got ready to start, the rest of our company came up and took breakfast with us. Afterward, we started for a settlement, and after traveling about three hours, we came to what is called Duncan settlement. Here we immediately got a job of work for Harvey Duncan, hewing and raising a log house.

The people were very much excited in consequence of having so many Mormons come into their neighborhood. Some were in favor of driving us out by force and held two public meetings to consult on the expediency of such a plan. But the Duncans, being men of influence and not in favor of such measures, brought about so much opposition that the plan of driving us was frustrated. We were therefore permitted to stay and prove ourselves, which we did, and we got a good name.

We labored in this place six or seven weeks, during which time we gathered a good supply of oxen, cows, and provisions. It was now considered best to move to the main camp, since we had been sent for two or three times.

​

We accordingly started about the first of June for Mount Pisgah, a place where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was putting in crops. We started from Missouri, leaving five or six men to finish some grinding. We arrived at Scott’s encampment on Rattlesnake Hill the evening of the same day we left Missouri.

The next morning, we rigged up and started for Pisgah. We passed through a place called Garden Grove, where some of the Saints had stopped for the season for the purpose of raising crops. We passed on, making no stop except to receive one of the blue wagons which had been previously sent to Garden Grove. We met with no accidents on the way, but arrived at Pisgah about the 10th of June.

​

Here we found a stake organized for the time being, with William Huntington as president, and Charles C. Rich and Ezra T. Benson as counselors. Captain Scott’s company stopped here for eight or ten days. During that time, I received a letter from my wife stating that she expected to start from Nauvoo about the 1st of July with Brother B. Mills, with whom I had made a contract before I left Nauvoo.

​

Some others and I, in similar circumstances, received counsel to stop at Pisgah or go back for our families as the nature of the case required. I therefore tarried for the space of one month, during which I worked with Father Parrish William, Ephraim Lindsay, and Henry Stevens. I planted a garden at this place, hoping my family might receive some benefit therefrom.

​

While I was stopping here, there were two or three calls by the authorities of the Church for all young men that could be spared to gather at Council Bluffs, in order that a company of five hundred men might be fitted out to cross the Rocky Mountains that year.

While in the accomplishment of this fit-out, Brother Jesse C. Little came to Pisgah from New Hampshire by way of Washington with a message from the President of the United States, James K. Polk. He stayed here about two nights and then started for the Bluffs with his message to President Brigham Young and the council. He went about ten miles and met President Brigham Young, Willard Richards, and Heber C. Kimball with some attendants coming to Pisgah to raise volunteers for the U.S. Army. Consequently, Brother Little returned with them.

​

Notice was immediately given for the brethren to come together the following day at 10 o’clock to hear the message President Young had to deliver. In consequence of not getting the necessary information, I was not present at the meeting, but learned in season that the council was that every man who possibly could should volunteer for the space of one year in the service of the United States, to go to Santa Fe and then to California, and there receive discharge, and that family or property must not be named as an excuse for not going.

​

In consequence of my not hearing the counsel given by President Young, I went to William Huntington Sr. and Ezra T. Benson and counseled with them concerning the expediency of my volunteering in this expedition, stating the situation of my family and my own feelings on the subject. I desired to do that which would be productive of the most good in building up and establishing the Kingdom of God, but did not wish to go inconsiderately into anything that might cause my family and myself to suffer.

​

But the counsel of these two men was that the importance of the case required that every man should go who possibly could, and that it was best that I should go.

June about the 10th, arrived at Pisgah. Left Pisgah for Council Bluffs July 9th. July 16th arrived at the Bluffs. On the 21st we left the Bluffs for Fort Leavenworth. On the 22nd, Samuel Boley died. On August 1st, we arrived at the Fort. On the 13th, we left the Fort.

​

On the 15th in the evening I was called to mount guard, and being the fiffer, it was something rather new to me. On the 19th, about 6 o’clock in the evening, we had a severe shower and gale of wind, which upset many of our wagons and blew over most of our tents. This happened at a place near the fork of the roads leading to Santa Fe and Oregon.

​

The battalion here had some counsel from Brother L. Hancock and others. After leaving this point, we traveled over a beautiful prairie country, but scarce of timber. We arrived at a place called Council Grove on the 27th; this was on the Big John Creek, about 130 miles from Fort Leavenworth.

While stopping at this place, we learned that Lieutenant Colonel J. Allen had died at the fort. Brother Boscah and his wife died and were buried at this place near the bank of the creek. Lieutenant Smith came up with the battalion on the 29th and claimed the command, which was given up to him for the time.

We left the Big John on the 31st and traveled a southwesterly course toward Fort Bent over a vast level prairie of nearly 80 miles, with but four or five watering places and no timber worth mentioning.

​

On the evening of the 4th of September, the battalion encamped on the bottom of the Little Arkansas. Nothing of unusual interest came under my observation during these five days’ march, except that many of the brethren were sick with fevers and agues, and many of Captain Hunter’s company in particular.

One thing I will here mention, on the authority of William Evans and others, one of my messmates, who was beginning to recover from an attack of the chills and fever and had been riding in the baggage wagons—the only way provided for carrying the sick. The principal surgeon, Sanderson by name, came up with the wagons in the afternoon of the 4th and ordered the sick to get out of the wagons, and swore that not a man should ride except by his permission, and his permission would not be given unless those returning sick would take his medicine. He also said that if he knew of anyone prescribing any medicine to any sick man without his orders, he would “cut his damned throat.”

​

We continued our journey on the 5th and found neither wood nor water until we got to Cow Creek, where we encamped for the night. We continued our journey on the 6th, and on the 7th, encamped on Walnut Creek near its junction with the Big Arkansas River. Here we feasted on buffalo beef for the first time since commencing our journey. Our last eight days’ travel was over a beautiful prairie country, but with very little wood or water. The land in places looked like a slaughter yard by reason of the multitude of buffalo bones. On the 8th, we traveled over a more beautiful prairie than I had ever seen before, and it was fed so close by buffalo that it looked like an old pasture.

​

We saw four or five immense herds of buffalo this day—I judge from three to five hundred in each herd. This caused me to reflect back upon a time ancient from this, when cattle might have been common among the inhabitants of North America.

On the night of the 8th, the battalion encamped on the east side of a creek called the Pawnee Fork, near its junction with the Arkansas. We crossed the creek on the morning of the 9th and traveled about four miles, then encamped on the bank of the same creek, where we stopped until the next day.

We then struck our tents and took a southeasterly course toward the Big Arkansas. We traveled about fifteen miles and encamped on the prairie at a watering place, and for lack of wood, we burned buffalo dung to do our cooking.

​

On the 11th, we came to the Arkansas and encamped on the bank of this river the same evening, a distance from the fort of about 200 miles. At this point, Arkansas is probably one-half mile wide. The bed of the river is sand and gravel, and the water at this season mostly runs below the surface of its bed, leaving but very little water in sight—so little that a person with tight shoes could pass over at almost any place without wetting his feet.

We traveled up the northern bank until the 15th, when we crossed over to the other side. Here, the battalion stopped until the 17th. While stopping here, Brother Phelps, who had been under the surgeon’s care for some time, died and was buried.

Just as we were striking tents on the morning of the 17th, Brothers J. D. Lee, H. Egan, and Pace came in sight of our encampment. The brethren mostly expressed their joy at seeing them.

​

The battalion, being already prepared to take up the line of march, started forward on the most direct route for Santa Fe, leaving Bent’s Fort, the place by which we first expected to pass at the northwest. The battalion took a southwesterly course across the Great North American desert. We arrived at the Seminole on the forenoon of the 19th, where we found good water. This is 60 miles from the crossing of the Arkansas.