John Bailey Jr. (1840 - 1928) Profile

Individual

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John Bailey, Jr.

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Bailey, Langley A. to Albert Jones, Handcart Veterans Association

Bailey, Langley A. to Albert Jones, Handcart Veterans Association, September 23, 1907.

Bailey, Langley A. to Albert Jones, Handcart Veterans Association.

Bailey, Langley A. to Isaac J. Wardle

Bailey, Langley A. to Isaac J. Wardle, November 28, 1916.

Nephi Nov 28/16



Isaac J. Wardle Esq



My Dear Most Respected Old Friend. How are you.



I was much disapointed because I did not meet you at our annual HandCart meeting.



I hope and pray that you are well in health in your old age. and prospering...



You and me are in much better condishions than we were at this time 60 years ago, I can remember one morning every tent was blowed down but ours. You did stake our tent down strong and firm. My dear Brother I honor and respect you much more than I Can explain. You and my brother John (he was only a boy 15) hauled me on the handcart for hundreds of miles Can I forget you. Can I ever repay, for your kindness No. No. ...



God bless you. May peace crown your latter days. Please let me hear from you. Get some one to write for you. I am yours Very Respectfully



Langley A Bailey

Transcript for Bailey, Langley A. to Isaac J. Wardle, 28 November 1916

Bailey, Langley A. to Isaac J. Wardle.

Bailey, Langley Allgood, Reminiscences and journal [ca. 1920]-1929, 4-7

Bailey, Langley Allgood, Reminiscences and journal [ca. 1920]-1929, 4-7.

We were delayed in camp for two weeks, most of the carts had to be made. At this place John and I learned to swim in the river. A tall man walked in the river where I was treading the water. I saw him go down, then come to the surface twice then went down again. I called to those around me to form a line as quick as possible. I saw his hand come in sight I grasped his wrist[,] swam to the nearest man [and] we were both hauled out, it took a long time before he came to himself. Gave the reason for going in deep water. thought I was walking on the bottom of the river.
We staid on this camp ground for two weeks. It was a sight to see 600 people pulling their carts through the cities and vileages of Iowa. People came out of their houses and jeered us. On we went, all happy and cheerfull. We encounte[re]d thunder storms we were wet through many times. John and I took off our shoes and stocking[s.] this mode of travel proved too much for me.
I was taken down with hemerage of the bowles. I was unable to walk, had to be hauled on Bro. Isaac J. Wardle and my brother’s John’s cart.
After reaching Florence a Doctor was consulted said I must not go another step or I would die and be burried on the road side. A captain named Tune [John Toone] would not administer to me, said he did not have faith enough to rais[e] the dead.
Mother on hearing that Apostle F.D. Richards and C.H .Wheelock had arrived in camp got them to administered to me, they promised me I would live to reach the vallies.
All this time I was uncounsis [unconscious] of what was going on.
The Doctor called again to see me, told father he would take care of the family and fit us out next year to persue our journey. Father thanked him kindly, he pled with father to stop[,] said it was to late to make the trip, said when we reached the mountains we would be snowed in. We found his words to be too true.
The emergrants were called to geather to know their minds in regards to stop untill the next year or go on. Voted to go on. On August 25th 1856 the company made a start. I not being able to walk, Isaac J. Wardle and Bro. John, only 15 years old, hauled me on their carts. We got along fairly well untill we reached the mountains, then bad weather set in, snow storms came impeded our traveling. no one can describe the suffering we endured. Our rashings [rations] consisted of 4 oz flour and nothing else did we have to eat.
One morning believing I could walk a little a head of the company. I got this privledge from my parents, my plan was to get away lay down under a sage brush and die. I saw my father and mother and my cart pass by, I stre[t]ched out to die, just then a voice said, “Your mother is hunting you, jump up.” I saw mother in haste comming towards me, wanted to know what had gone rong with me. I told her I had planded to lay down and die. I felt it was to much to pull me on the cart, at same time had as much lugage they could manage, scolded me a little. She reminded what I was promised by apostle F.D. Richard. I wrode on a cart untill the teams from the Valleys met us.
One day mother was in the croud wating her turn to receive our daly rachens. her sh&lt;a&gt;ul fell of[f] her shoulders. no one seemed to know who picked &lt;it&gt; up. Some weeks afterward While the folks was stakeing the tent, one evening, I saw a sister pass by. I saw on her under her shaul mothers shaul, mother, went &lt;to&gt; this ladys tent[.] there lay her shaul. Mother asked her if she was not ashamed to steal and going to Zion 
It was quite a sight to see the poor womin take hold of hands in wadeing thru the cold rivers with their cloth[e]s froze when they came to the other side.
We camped at place after was called Martins Hole. We could not &lt;go&gt; any further for Snow 
My father went to gather some brush willows Etc there being no wood, to keep me warm. his hands became very benumbred he laid down by my side[,] told mother he was going to die (It was not any trouble to die) mother took &lt;hold&gt; of him gave him a shaken up, and told &lt;him&gt; she &lt;was&gt; going on to the valleys[.] he then gave up dying.
While at pray meeting a bitter cold night[,] Bro. [John] Rodwell spoke in toungues[.] interpertation was the rescures wou[l]d be with us within three days, on the third day Jos. A. Young on a while [-] with another &lt;man&gt; wrode into cam[p.] O what a shout went up. Said make a start in the morning. there is food a few miles back, during the &lt;night stole their&gt; few crackers also straps on their saddles were all taken and &lt;eat&gt; for hunger is a mild name, 19 died that night[,] graves dug in the snow. many died at this stopping place[,] graves dug in the snow. all was too weak to dig in the frozen snow[.] wolves came during the night tore up the dedd bodies 
Next morning a start was made in the deep snow 
I saw a young lady age about 16 walking in the snow[.] she left the blood prints of her heels and toes on the snow. I am told her legs were amputated when she arrived in Salt Lake City 
I refrain from writing about the suffering of these people[.] It never can or will be told.
On leaving this morning my bro. John saw the wolves devouring the bodies he had helped to burry the day before[.] he tried to drive them a way[.] he had to run for his life.
That morning in starting I was placed in a wagon on top of frozen tents. a very &lt;few&gt; oxen was left to haul or pull the few wagons. made <s>that</s> about 4 miles. when the Company stop that evening. mother came around the wagons Calling Langley. I could hear her calling. she could not hear me answer when she found me[,] lifted me &lt;took&gt; out of the wagon my legs &amp; arms was stif like a frozed shirt. an ox was about to die. he was killed[.] mother got some of the meat[,] boiled it, gave me some of the brough [broth]. it run thro me like going thro a funal.
We met the rescures near devels gate. Log houses were pulled down. good fires was made of the logs. provision were rather short on account of the teams being so long on the road; deep snows made travling very slow.
We arrived in Salt Lake City Sunday noon comming out of immergration [Immigration] canyon. I was lifted up in the wagon could see houses in the distance. It &lt;was;&gt; like the Isrealites of old in beholding the promised land. date Nov 30, 1856.

Transcript for Bailey, Langley Allgood, Reminiscences and journal [ca. 1920]-1929, 4-7

Bradley, A. A., to Sect. Jones, Handcart Veterans Association

Bradley, A. A., to Sect. Jones, Handcart Veterans Association, September 24, 1907.

Bradley, A. A., to Sect. Jones, Handcart Veterans Association.

CR 100 137: Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008

CR 100 137: Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008, November 30, 1856, Page 72.

CR 100 137: Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008.

Deseret News

Reminiscences

Langley A. Bailey, "Reminiscences", Deseret News, September 1, 1906, Page 20-21.

In the year of our Lord 1856, May 29, about 600 Latter-day Saints took passage on the sailing vessel "Horizon," from Liverpool, England. After five week's good sailing we landed in Boston harbor, from whence we boarded the train and rode 1,500 miles to Iowa City. We were informed that we must travel on foot four miles to the camp ground. All felt delighted in having the privilege of a pleasant walk. Accordingly, all took up their beds and walked. We had not gone far before it thundered and lightened and poured down with rain. The roads soon became very mudy and slippery. The noble 600, about 200 having stayed at Boston and other places en route, trudged along. The day was far advancing, and many did not reach camp until after dark. We were conducted into tents, packed very close together, and stood up all night in our wet clothes. In the dark parents and children became separated. Daylight in the morning brought fine weather and parents and children found each other with joy. This was our first "experience in our start on foot."



Finally the noble 600 made a start with their handcarts, singing as they went along, "Some must push and some must pull as we go marching up the hill," etc. Bad roads and storms did not daunt these noble pioneers.



 



<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">COULD NOT RAISE THE DEAD.</center>



 



By the time we reached Florence, I became very sick. An elder, a captain of a company, was called by my parents to administer to me. He came, said he did not have faith enough to raise the dead, and left the tent. Elder Franklin D. Richards and C.H. Wheelock, having arrived in camp were asked to administer to me. I was promised by them that I should live to arrive in the valleys. Apostle Richard[s] always remembered me by this incident, and spoke of it the last time we met.



It is true, I was hauled all the way across the plains in the hand cart until the teams met us, by my brother, John, who was a lad of 15 years, and Isaac Wardle. I promised my [….all] team that I would give them some of my bread if they would try and miss the rocks in the road, which pay was better than gold at that time. Our ration was a quarter of a pound of flour a day [- - - ] the hand carts and stood guard received no more than the women and feeble ones.



The "half will never be told" of what we suffered before we reached great Salt Lake City, our promised land.



Our emerging from Immigration [Emigration] canyon Sun, Nov. 30 will never be forgotten. I was lifted up in the wagon, more dead than alive, and saw in the distance houses. Christopher Columbus and his men were no more pleased [illegible to rejoice [illegible habitations once more. When [illegible] the city the people were coming out of meeting. Hundreds came and viewed us with much amazement.



 



<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">L.A. BAILEY</center>

Transcript for Bailey, Langley A., "Reminiscences", Deseret News, 1 September 1906, 20-21

Deseret News.

Handcart Veterans Association. Handcart Veterans Association scrapbook, 1906-1914, folder 6

Handcart Veterans Association. Handcart Veterans Association scrapbook, 1906-1914, folder 6.

Perpetual Emigrating Fund, Financial Accounts 1849-1886, Ledger B

Perpetual Emigrating Fund, Financial Accounts 1849-1886, Ledger B, Page 254.

Perpetual Emigrating Fund, Financial Accounts 1849-1886, Ledger B.

Wardle, Isaac John, Autobiographical sketch [n.d.], [2]

Wardle, Isaac John, Autobiographical sketch [n.d.], [2].

We arrived safe in Boston Saturday at 10 A.M. after five (5) weeks sea voyage. After 2 days proceeded by train to Iowa City, arriving there July 8, 1856 and went on to Council Bluffs. I left Council Bluffs in "Captain Martin's" handcart company. Being a stron[g] man and having no relatives in the company I took a sick young man (eighteen years old) in my cart. His name was "Langl[e]y A. Bailey", besides the sick boy I had 100 lbs. flour, a tent, and camp equipment for seven persons which I pulled for 1130 miles to Pacific Springs, Wyoming. John Bailey helped me pull some of the way. We crossed the Missouri River at Florence. when we left Florence there were about 740 souls in our company. With Edward Martin as our Captain we did not have much difficuilty on the road except a few visits from the Indians until we encountered a sever[e] snow storm at Platt[e] Bridge this was early in October. Then our old men and women and some of the younger children began to give out and to get sick and many of them died which I helped bury, but we kept moving on a little every day in spite of the cold and hardships. At one time I became so weary and over come with cold that I fell down and was forced to lay there for some time. About this time one day while we were stopped for noon two men rode into our camp, they were "Joseph Young" and Ephraim Hanks [Able Garr] who had come to tell us that men where coming to meet us with teams and wagons from Salt Lake City. We met the first team at Pacific Springs, Wyoming who had provisions for us with them. By this time our company was much smaller than when we left Council Bluffs, as so many had died some had stopped at different places along the way. We proceeded on to Salt Lake City with the teams leaving our handcarts behind. We arrived there Nov. 30, 1856 having taken us Six (6) months and five (5) days to come from Liverpool England to Salt Lake City U.S.A.



President Brigham Young along with many of the other Brethern and Women came to welcome us and took us into their homes, fed and warmed us and gave us warm clean beds to rest our weary bodies.

John Bailey, Jr.

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