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Oliver Heeler

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Anderson, Washington F. to Editor

Anderson, Washington F. to Editor, August 12, 1857.

<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Bear River Ferry, August 12, 1857.</center>



Editor of the News,



Dear Sir—According to instructions received from brother Sessions, I proceed to make a brief summary of the most important incidents of our journey from Carson Valley to this place. On Wednesday July 15th, the California Company of S. D. S. emigrants under command of brother H. Thatcher and the Carson Valley Company met together at Eagle Valley and organized for the journey to Salt Lake City.



President Loveland of Carson Valley presided at the meeting, and P. G. Sessions was duly elected Captain of the Company; H. Thatcher Sargeant of the Guard; Theodore Curtis Chaplain, and W. F. Anderson Clerk.



Interesting and instructive remarks were made by President Loveland, Captain Sessions and others; after which the meeting adjourned and others; after which the meeting adjourned Sinedie.



The company consisted of 37 Men; 16 women; and 18 children, in all 65 souls; 17 wagons, 40 horses, and 32 mules.



On the following morning, July 16, after prayer by President Loveland, we commenced our journey zionward. Nothing of importance transpired before reaching the Humboldt. The Pah-Utah [Piute] Indians as a general thing were friendly and appeared favorably disposed.



On Wednesday 22nd, brother Mathew Thompson and sister Ellen Livingston enlivened the monotony of our travel with a marriage festival, the nuptial ceremony being performed by Elder Cook.



On the 23rd, we met Livingston and Kincaid's cattle train from Salt Lake City. Also some emigrants trains from Missouri. As the emigrants reported some trouble with the Indians, having killed 10 Indians a day or so before; it was deemed a necessary precausion to instigate a day Guard, both in front and rear of the wagons, and Brother A. B. Cherry was duly elected Captain of said Guard.



On the 28th, reached Stony Point on the Humboldt. McManus train from Missouri camped a mile above us, and one of their men named Waters, being mistaken for an Indian, received a gun-shot wound, supposed to be fatal, from one of their own guard.



On the 30th, we passed Gravelly Ford. Some 25 miles above we met a train from Missouri, who report that 3 men had been murdered by the Indians, near the eastern mouth of the canyon. Some men were dispatched from our camp, who, in company with some from the Missouri train, searched for and found the three bodies, concealed in the sage-brush in an adjoining canyon. They were shockingly mutilated and one of them scalped. Their names were ascertained to be John Stein, John Everheart, and John Lebaugh. We gave them a decent burial on the following morning, with prayer at the grave by Captain Sessions. At the head of the Humboldt, we heard of several other bodies having been found, among them one female. We reached Goose Creek on the 6th of August, and Raft River on the 8th. Since passing Gravelly Ford, the California emigration has averaged some 30 wagons[,] mostly families and immense herds of cattle.



was unfortunately marred by a division of sentiment in our midst, in relation to ourmode of travel. Several members of the company, brother Hunter, Baker, Curtis, sister Call and some packers, contrary to the counsel of Captain Sessions, left the train and travelled on. The Chaplain's place was supplied by brother Seconard [Leonard] Wines, who was unanimously <s>appointed</s> elected to fill that office.



On Wednesday 12th, reached Bear River Ferry and the settlements safely, feeling truly grateful to Almighty God for his protecting care and watchful providence over us during all our journey. While numbers of the Gentiles on our right hand and left, have been the victims of the of the Lamanites, we have been left unharmed and have reached our point of destination in safety and in health. For this we bless and magnify His glorious name humbly beseeching Him to enable us to show our thankfulness in a sincere obedience to His commandments and to the commands of His servants, whom He has placed in lawful authority over us, in this His last dispensation. Even so, Amen



 



<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Respectfully yours, 
W. F. Anderson.</center>



 



List of the Names of the Male Members of the Company Spoken of Above.



P[errigrine]. G. Sessions 
Charles [Carlos Lyon] Sessions 
Joseph [Wycoff] Thatcher 
John [Bethewel] Thatcher 
W[ashington] F. Anderson 
Levi Dorathy [Dougherty] 
Robert C. Sharkey 
Jesser Cherry 
R[asmus] M[ads] Englestad 
Albert Ninde 
Joel Loveland 
John Boss 
John A. Workan [Workman] 
Snell 
Jarvis Baker 
Theodore Curtis 
Mathew Thompson 
Hezekiah Thatcher 
George [Washington] Thatcher 
Washington [Bolivar] Rogers 
Oliver [Norton] Harmon 
James Bell 
A[aron] B[enjamin] Cherry 
Isaac Hunter 
Leonard Wines 
William Cook 
William Price 
William Jenny 
Cyrus &amp; George [Snell] 
Sinam [Simon] Baker 
Joseph Baker 
Oliver Heeler

Transcript for Anderson, Washington F. to Editor, 12 Aug. 1857, Bear River Ferry, in Historian's Office, History of the Church 1839-[ca. 1882], 414-18, 12 Aug. 1857

Oliver Heeler

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