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George William Turner

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George W. Turner autobiography and minutebook, 1871-1887, 121-23

George W. Turner autobiography and minutebook, 1871-1887, 121-23.

we landed in Boston on or about the 26th of May, having been nearly 6 weeks on the water, we staid in Boston, about 2 days, where our Captain Dan Jones, chartered a special train, by which we started for Iowa, where we arrived in about eight days, traveling night and day[.] <here> we camped in the open air, for over three weeks, preparing hand carts, tents &amp;c for our journey, across the plains, a distance of nearly 1300 miles, here my wifes mother who was not very well in health, when we left the old country, had grown <worse> until, through the exposure of travelling, night and day, for over a week, <s>was</s> together with the inconveniance, of outdoor camp life, was more than her weak constitution could stand. She <s>d</s> died, in a few days after our arrival at camp, and we had to bury her body in the camp burying ground. in about four weeks after our arrival, every thing being in readiness, our company was organized, as follows, Edward Bunker, returning missionary, Captain, David Grant another returning missionary, Captain of the first hundred, myself Captain of the second, and Elder John Parry, captain of the third, my company numbered 111, so that the company all told, numbered 311, souls. we were only allowed, to take 17 lbs of luggage, including bedding, for each person, the residue of our clothing, we had to leave, to be forwarded by the Church teams, later in the fall,</worse></here>



all things being in readiness, we rolled out of camp, about the first week in June, singing , “some must push and some must pull, as we go marching up the hill, and merrily on the way we’ll go, until we reach the valley.” we had 4 mule teams with us, to help haul our provisions, an Captain Bunker, had a team of two yoke of oxen, which constituted our entire train.



on the third night after we left the camp ground at Iowa, as we were, as we thought secure for the night, and all were wrapt in slumber, we were visited by one of those severe thunder, wind, and rain Storms, so frequent on the praires, of the State of Iowa. our tents were blown over, and the hand &lt;carts&gt; carried for quite a distance by the force of the wind, while the rain poured down in torrents in such a manner, that in the short space, of twenty minutes, every thing in the camp, was floating. the water being from 15 to 18 inches deep, over the entire camp, and men[,] women, and children were in a wet and Shivering condition, half way up their legs in water all night. when day light came in the morning our camp presented quite a novel spectacle, tents and clothing all mixed up. but the sun came out in such splnder, and warmth, that the storm of the previous night, was soon forgotten. It took us nearly all day, to straigten things up, so that it was nearly 4 o clock in the afternoon before we were rady to <s>go</s> strike camp and move. we could only travel some 4 miles. we had an experience of this kind several times, whilst travelling, through the state of Iowa. but not any I think quite so bad, as the first, one.



we were about 3 weeks travelling through the State of Iowa, arriving at Florence, or what was then called Winter Quarters, about the first week in July. here we were detained, about 3 weeks, mending our hand carts, and tents, and making such other preparations, that were necessary, to accomplish the remainder of our journey, over an almost trackless desert, for upwards of 1000 miles.



we left Florence on the 31st of July, and arrived in Salt Lake City, on the 2nd of October. This I consider one of the most remarkable feats of endurance on record. men[,] women and children, averaging nearly 17 miles per day, for 64 days, in all kinds of weather, drawing their own provisions, bedding, closthing, cooking utensils, and all othe neccessaries, fording rivers, and streams, over mountains, and hills, and sandy plains, on a very scanty allowance, of provisions. for all that <s>we</s> we had to subsist upon, for the last 300 miles of the journey, was eight ounces of flour per day, to each person. this was a very severe tax upon human endurance, and several who were stout, and robust, at the commencement of the journey, <s>had</s> were stricken with death, and we had to perform the painful task, of burying &lt;them&gt; by the wayside. I shall never forget the remark of one brother named William Jenkins, a large stout, able bodied &lt;man&gt; wgo [who] lift [left] Cardiff with us. Brother George says he the day before he died, if any person ever asks you the cause of my death, tell them it was lack of the proper amount of necessary food, to sustain my body, in this long and laborious journey. some of the Brethren, and sisters, have said many hard things in my hearing, against the Church authorities, in regard to the hand cart enterprise, owing to the great amount of suffering, and death, caused by that movement, but I do not blame any one. I believe that the Bretheren, in their desire to be economical, in the matter, and through inexperience, put a greater ta upon the human system, than it was able to endure.

Transcript for George W. Turner autobiography and minutebook, 1871-1887, 121-23

Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, October 2, 1856.

Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Parry, John, Reminiscences and diary

Parry, John, Reminiscences and diary, March 1857.

We Camped in Ioway [Iowa] for three weeks to wait for Wagons, And for hand Carts. This was the first time for hand Carts to be used to go acros the Plains.
The first Company went a few days before us, Edmond El[l]sworth being Captain, 
Another Company started before us a few MacArthur [Daniel D. McArthur] days being Captain.
Thirdly the Welsh was organised as a Company Edward Bunker being head Captain, and David Grant, Myself, and George Davies, being Captains of hundreds, After we traveled the first Day and put up our tents, it began Thunder &amp; Lightening, and we had the aufulest Storm that I ever witnessed in my life.
(I omited to mention one of my conexion [connection] who came with us from Wales, Thomas Parry son of Robert Parry Newmarket, who we left at Ioway [Iowa] being engaged to drive a Team to Dan Jones over the Plains, But he got wet, and caught a Cold, and Died, in the neibourhood of Newton, Ioway [Iowa].)
After we got Dry the folowing day we started again and Traveled hard, our ration of food was half a pound of flour a day, and a little Tea and shugar and a very little of any thing else[.] we had a hard task to stand the Journey from Ioway [Iowa] to counsel [Council] Bluffs. Distance of about 300 miles, When at Newton we stopt over sunday, &lt;till&gt; and many of our Camp, on account of shortness of rations, Made their minds up to stop at this Place, and engaged with some of the Gentiles to work for them, And on Monday morning, several of the croude [crowd] turned one side with their Hand Carts, by going through the above Town, I went after them, while the Camp went a head, to puswade [persuade] them to come along, at last I prevaled on them, then we started after the Camp, which was far a head, and when I was aboute the midle of Newton, I was imediately Surrounded by a large croude of mobs, who was very mad, because I perswaded those that had promised to work for them, to come along[.] after a little talk the[y] did send several from the crowde to get Tar &amp; Feathers, to put on me, while I was surounded Brother [John] McDonald came, that had been in some store, and asked why did they stop me on the high way; and while they turned their atention to him, I slipt through the crowd and made my escape, by turning round a corner I turned my head and saw many coming after me[.] Then I took to run, and before I came to the Camp I was overcome by two rufians, who began to take hold of my colar, but I spoke very harch [harsh] and independant to them, and got from them, after a while I reached the camp and when Traveling along, Great many mobs came after us some on horses and others on foot, with Revolvers, Clubs &amp;c 
To try to perswade some of either men or Women to turn back, that they would get good situations or Farmes to them, &amp;c, &amp;c, But not one of them went, after a while they went back, they did not know me, as I did change my close [clothes],
then we traveled on from day to day until we at last came to Florence, where we had a fit oute to cross the Plains, (a few did stay on the way.) 
I laboured very hard to help some Widows and Fatherless, and the weak, to pull their Carts up hilly pleases [places], &amp;c, beside puling my own along with my Wife [Harriet] and my sisters Young Daughter, Elizabeth, 
We stopped at this Place aboute a week. James McGaw, had the charge of the starting of the emigration over the Plians [Plains],
In the begin[n]ing of August [blank space] 1856 We started over the Plians, Buried sister Emma Brooks, from N[ea]r Newmarket Wales, the Day before we started, her Death was caused by diarrhoea,
We had more food, now, than before, 7 lbs a week to cross the plians, and some few things beside, Yet not near enough, as we were working so hard in pulling our little Trinkets &amp; food only 17 lbs each was alowd beside our food, and we had an ox Team, to every hundred, to help us,
After traveling a few days, we saw tens of thousands of Buffalos, we killed a few to eat, We did wade the rivers, little Children 6 years of age did use to walk 26 miles p[er] day, one evening one old Brother was mised oute of my hundred, aboute 120 miles west of Laramie; it was ten o Clock when I found oute that he was missing. Then I and 2 more went to look for him, after we traveled 8 miles we met the old Brother coming along slowly, had been sleeping on the way, untill some wolfs came And Barked at him, then we did put him on our hand Cart and took him to camp,
Several died on the way, And only one little sick child that never was well, died oute of my Company, or hundred, all the way from Ioway [Iowa] to Great, Salt, Lake, City.
Somewere in the neighborhood of the uper crossing of the Platt[e] River, Teams From G, S, L, City, came to meet us with flour, which we was in much need, though not oute of flour, but not near enough to reach the Valley,
On a sunday at the pasific [Pacific] Springs, we met Parley, P, Pratt, the Twelve, and others going to the states, we also Met Patriarch John Smith, going to meet his sister, he gived us some, Salt, 
Indians met us some times, and helped us to pull our Carts, which was a great fun for them, we had no trouble of any kind in crosing the plians [Plains], only Fatigue, I, worked my self down, I did pull Samuel Brookss boy, Frank, for some hundreds of miles, as he was an Invaleed [Invalid], 
Hard pull up the Big Mountain, when we came in-site of the City, our hearts was overwhelmed with Joy, and thanksgiving to the Lord, that our lives was spared, through such a Journey, and traveling in such a maner, that history has no comparison.
When near the City My Father Met us on horse back, Tears of Joy filled my ey[e]s when met him, and we kissed one another,
We arrived in the City on the 3rd of October, and had a glance at President B Young [at] the time we entered the City, 
We camped on the Union Square.

Transcript for Parry, John, Reminiscences and diary, 1857 Mar.-1867 Sept., 55-60

George William Turner

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