William Clayton's Journal. William Clayton Clayton

to go about eight miles to timber but after toiling till about four o'clock and having traveled only about five miles and our teams being entirely worn down we turned out of the road to a little branch of water to camp. Several of my teams stuck and we had to work till dark to get part of them to camp and two wagons we were compelled to leave over night. Quite a number were obliged to stay back on the prairie and Charles Hale did not come more than a quarter of a mile from where we started this morning. Elder Kimball has camped one and a half miles farther on the open prairie and many of his teams are yet behind. P. P. Pratt's company are here with us as well as George Miller's company except those behind on the prairie. It continued to rain very heavily until night. We could not make a fire and had little for supper, our provisions being in one of the wagons back. This is the most severe time we have had but yet the camp seems in good spirits.

Friday, April 10

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      The weather is yet very wet and gloomy. I spent the morning talking to Margaret. At seven o'clock a gale struck up and blew our tents over. We then concluded to move a few rods lower out of the wind. Before we got moved the wind moved to the west and it grew very cold. Our teams are gone back to fetch some of the wagons left last night. It rains and blows very badly and is very severe on our women and teams. Margaret and Lidia are out all the time and continually wetting both feet and all over. We expect Robert Burton's, one of Peck's, Peart's and my wagons in tonight. One of mine was fetched early in the morning. Our teams fare hard with wet and cold, having very little corn.

Saturday, April 11

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      This morning rode with Egan to help to get Brother Peart's wagon out of the slough. It took five yoke of oxen and twelve men to draw it out. The roads are yet very bad but it is fair and very cold. We sent twelve yoke of oxen to bring up Peck's and Charles Hale's wagon. They got in late at night.

Sunday, April 12

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      This morning before I got up, P. P. Pratt called and said that President Young wants the council to meet at Heber's camp at ten o'clock. I started out with Captain Egan on foot and arrived in season. Had some conversation with Ellen Sanders Kimball and then went to council. It was decided to change our route and take a more northern one to avoid the settlements. We will go to Grand River and there enclose a space of land about two miles square and put up some twenty log houses for a resting place for the companies. A company starts out in a day or two to seek out the location amongst whom are the President, Heber and others of the twelve. A company will also be sent west to Judge Miller's to go to work for feed, etc. After council I took dinner with Heber, the President being with us. I then wrote a letter to the trustees and returned with Captain Egan to our camp and soon after went to bed. The day has been fine but cold.

Monday, April 13

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      Finished my letter to Diantha and then went over to Peck's blacksmith shop. We had concluded not to leave till morning. While there a message arrived saying that Haws has sent eight yoke of cattle to help us on. We then concluded to start forthwith, being noon. But although we had so many extra teams, we had to leave three wagons in camp over night. Four of my folks walked all the way but still it was hard for me to get along. Keller had to stay back over night. I arrived at Locust Creek, being about four miles journey, about six o'clock and sent the cattle back for Peck and Steven Hales but they did not return till morning. In the evening the band played some. James broke his wagon tongue. We camped a little north of President Heber's camp.

Tuesday, April 14

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      The weather is again very fine. Because some of the wagons did not come, Egan and I concluded to go and meet them and not start farther until tomorrow. We met the teams close by and then took a northern course a hunting. We saw only squirrels and I got five of them. About noon we returned and found the camp mostly gone. Orders had come from the President for the whole to move to his camp today. Charles Terry and Henry were gone a hunting which detained me till about three o'clock. James and I then started with the four wagons. They overtook us when we had got about one half mile. We found the road very bad and had to double teams, our horses being so badly worn down. Charles Terry broke a wagon tongue.

Wednesday, April 15

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      Last night I got up to watch, there being no guard. The cattle and horses breaking into the tents and wagons. I tarried up then called S. Hales and Kimball. This morning Ellen Kimball came to me and wishes me much joy. She said Diantha has a son. I told her I was afraid it was not so, but she said Brother Pond had received a letter. I went over to Pond's and he read that she had a fine fat boy on the 30th ult., but she was very sick with ague and mumps. Truly I feel to rejoice at this intelligence but feel sorry to hear of her sickness. Spent the day chiefly reading. In the afternoon President Young came over and found some fault about our wagons, etc. In the evening the band played and after we dismissed the following persons retired to my tent to have a social christening, viz. William Pitt, Hutchinson, Smithies, Kay, Egan, Duzett, Redding, William Cahoon, James Clayton and Charles A. Terry and myself. We had a very pleasant time playing and singing until about twelve o'clock and drank health to my son. We named him William Adriel Benoni Clayton. The weather has been fine but rains a little tonight. Henry Terry's horses are missing and have been hunted today but not found. This morning I composed a new song--"All is well." I feel to thank my heavenly father for my boy and pray that he will spare and preserve his life and that of his mother and so order it so that we may soon meet again. O Lord bless thine handmaid and fill her with thy spirit, make her healthy that her life may be prolonged and that we may live upon the earth and honor the cause of truth. In the evening I asked the President if he would not suffer me to send for Diantha. He consented and said we would send when we got to Grand River.

Thursday, April 16

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      This morning prepared to proceed on our journey but a span of horses in our company in care of Henry Terry being missing we concluded not to start. I sent out three men to hunt them. Soon after they were brought into camp by another person. I then sent Henry Terry to hunt for the men but it was after two o'clock before they returned. We fed a little corn and then started. The company is far ahead of us. We traveled very slowly our teams were so weak. However, we soon came into sight of the camp but it was six o'clock before we got there, having traveled about seven miles. The camp was formed on a beautiful prairie, President Young's camp being on a little eminence. President Kimball's about three quarters of a mile north of his and ours about a quarter of a mile east. There is some little grass for our cattle here, but little. We sent those of our company about a mile southeast and had a guard over them through the night. President Haws, Captains Egan and Kay and Jackson Redding went out a hunting. George Hale's cattle were so worn down that they could not get along and when within about a mile of camp about fifteen of the brethren went to help. They took a rope and fixed it on the wagon, loosed the cattle and brought it in themselves, singing all the way. At night the band played and then I retired to bed.

Friday,