Benjamin L. Clapp Company

Benjamin L. Clapp, returning from a mission, led a party of about 40 Saints from Texas to Utah. The company had 14 wagons and left Ellis County, Texas, on March 11. They started about three weeks in advance of Preston Thomas's 1856 company. They followed the same route north through Texas and Indian territory as did Thomas's company. By June 2 only 40 miles separated the two companies. Preston Thomas went ahead and visited Clapp's company on that date and saw that there existed a spirit of disharmony among them. Clapp's company favored taking the Platte route whereas Thomas's company voted to take the Arkansas River route. Before reaching the Sweetwater, a number of families and individuals left Clapp's company and joined Godbe's freight train. On August 25 Preston Thomas's company met Godbe's train, and a few of those families and individuals who earlier had traveled in Clapp's company joined Thomas's group. One of them, Sister Coley, died at the foot of Big Mountain, only a day from Salt Lake. Her body was brought to Salt Lake for burial. Reaching Salt Lake a few days after Thomas's Texas company, the remainder of Clapp's company arrived on September 19.