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Show S05IE REMINISCENCES. Salt Lake City, Dec. 14. Editors Herald: la my last week's letter Captain M&rtiu'a handcart company was brought hlong to camp on this ekle of tbe north Platte, at the laet cr03-irjg, cr03-irjg, on the the 20th of October (1S5G), the firet day of winter, with cold wind, sleet, and enow. Do you know that was the very next day after that on which, forty-four years before-, tho great Napoleon decided on hie disastrous retreat from Moscow? For, in relating these handcart adventures, my mind has involuntarily run back to that terrible time, though thia haudcart expedition was an advance, not a retreat, Tho handcart company nover retreated one day nor one yard, never thought of retreating, but in all their difficulties the people kept their faces Bteadfastly towards Salt Lake. , The next day after crossing the! Platte the company moved on slowly, j about ten miles, through the snow, j and camped again near the Platte j and at the point where the road let t it ' 1 for the Sweetwater It enowed three, days, and the (earns and many of the j people were so far given out that it i waa.deemed advisabLe not lo proceed further for a few days, but rather to stay in camp and recruit. It waa I hoped that tho euow and cold would prove only a foretaste of winter aud would soon pnsa away and the weather would moderate, but that hope proved delueivo, It was ex pected that help from S;.ULke would eoon reach the company, which cheering expectation was shortly realized. In Ibis camp I the company stayed, resting and re-I re-I cmitiug as well as could bo under the circumstance, the snow remaining 1 o;i the gruued and tue frost bMug j very keen ;it nights, Here the tl uir jrnliou fell to four ounces pcrd;y, aud again, for the third and hibt timo, miht the oinitjninb have said, with Sir Waller, "Like a tuinrjur-JricJ fjuntniii, when our wau's aro the sorest." Thii was the extremity of their privations &d to food, but- uot the ecd of their eufleriugs, for the injurious c-QecU of their privations to!d upou them during the remainder of their jnurccy and for Borne time alter. Indeed, with some ot the com-piuy com-piuy relics of thee eflects remain, ol ono Bort or anollier, to thia day. In tuidilion to the Hour ration, considerable consider-able beef was killed and served to tho company, ns had been the cise most of the journey. But li-c catlin had nuw riAfu si poor that tuero was iitlie lit sh I tit on tiit-m, auJ that hub w-js as le'in as Inm could h.-. ihe prcUtui w.is how tu co;ik it lo advautagf. Stewed in eat and soups were fuund to be hud for diarrhtei and dyrpniLry, provocative of and aiavnt'.iijg lho;u di, Eases, of whicti there w.-iu .uijsiderah:e in the cora-pany, cora-pany, und to fry lean meat without 1111 utom of fat in it or out of it was tl.Hua'.iit to every conk in wmo. I'tio Liiilctk w.i8 certainly 1 ot enccura-jiDi.', but it netd uot be miijj-(:o;cd miijj-(:o;cd tba: the comp my was in despair, not with Una in;; that the sitixilion wus rather deBpt-ratc. O no! A hopeful and cheerful spirit pervaded per-vaded tho camp, and the "songa ot Ziou" were frtquently lieard at lliis time, thouith the cumpany was in the very deaths of its privations. Though the bodies of the people were worn down, their tpirits wtro buoyant, while at the same time they hd become be-come so accustomed to looking death in tho face that lh?y fiemtd lo have no fear ol it, nor of corpses either, the bodies of the deid having become such familiar Eights as to lose their ordinary thriliiug iniluence on be Holders, and to be no more thought of wilh repulsive aversion, nor specially spe-cially and nervously avoided, than the living. In my letter last week I omitted to s'-.y that a way back from Fort Laramie Lara-mie the company met Jonathan lirimahaw and company, man'' or tn- st of whom were dissatit-fied "Mormons," rt turning from S.ilt Lake to tbe ttaus and prt of thc-m to England, for the rcajoo, us some of them eaid, that they could get no work and nothing to eat in Utah, liow they got away uuder thoje cir-cumslances cir-cumslances is a myci:ry. The -feth of October wa3 the red leu, r d:iy 10 this handcart expedition. U:i that memorahlo day Joseph A. Vounc, Daniel V, Jones, and Abel (Jarr gullooed unexpectedly into tho camp amid the cheers and tears and emilci and laughter of the caiigruuls. These- three men, bi-ine an express 'rum the 'niort advanced roliet" company com-pany from t: Alt Lake, brought the j;!ad wor! tliat niataueo, provisior.e, and cl'jthing v.'co near, that tt-n wa;;ons were 'waitini: nl Devil's i5;ite Icr the emigrants, which chd?r-iug chd?r-iug iuU-il'ge uie IiaiI been previcusiy eo;iiuiui:ii:a'.d to C:tf hiin H'ddls' w.ipnti ct-inpiny. in ci'iip b..rd by, t.nd first r. .wv.- by the express, who, alter a very brief stay in the handcart hand-cart camp, pusb'd on to Captain Hunt's wagon company, encamped tm the Piatte, about teu milas below ai.d boyor.d the handcart company. Ttie express etaytd with lluul's com-p.my com-p.my fur the night. Ali was now animation aud buoili) iu tho hand, art camp, und everybody was btii.y at onco in making preparations for a renewed start in the morning. The revived .-i'linis of the comp my were still fur-t:uT fur-t:uT e xhilUraled by an increased ra'.iun ol fl ;ur that d iy, three quarters of a pound I believe. With cheered heme and renewed hopes (he emigrants emi-grants retired to their beds that night, ifj no doubt many of the sleepers, mitde p'.ca.mnt excursions into the myi-ticregiom of dreamland. i Kirly ou tbe morning of tho 20th the hand; art company left the Platte and struck across the country for the riweUwrUt-r. Jeseph A. Young and'' his companions, reluming from Hunt's C'Jii'pany, overtook Martin's company before night und camped wilh it at Kecky Avenue, about thiitj'-eix ii'ib:a east of Devil's Uate. In tho altL-rnr-on of the 1 st day of (Jeli her, Iho cuinpany nut C. IT. W heelucic, Dauiel W. Jones, and Divid U-irr, who were going to meet tho various companies. About dark the company arrived at Greasewood creek, between thirty and forty miles Irom the last croadiDg uf tho Platte. At Ureasewood creek were fouud George 41. Grant, K. T. Burton, Charles Deeke-r, C. G. Webb and otherB, with Bix ni;ou9 laden with 11 jur and other tti 1 t-ii-, from Halt Lake, who had cuuie to the asiialanee of the baluled eniigruiH. Tnis wa another time ot rejr-it'in'. r-t-mc ul' this relief p.uty had met the emijjfanls a mile or two away from camp and had hclpo 1 lo pull somo of the carta along. Hero (oiiio stofk in;;j, boots and other clothing were distributed among the emigrants, aUo a lew otiiuiis, wiheh were highly prized, and a pound of dour raliun wis served out, which was the daily ration, with tbe exception excep-tion of ah'.iuu two dajH, if I r-.c-'liet rightly, thencelorili U the end of the journey. This was ihe beginning of better days as to food aud assistance, but the ccld grew mere severe, ai.d was inlei.ritj much of tho way. In Napoleon's retreat tiie winter came on wilh unusual earliuess and seventy, and the severity of the wealbor co;i-liniud co;i-liniud to increase. 8o it was with tbiehandcirt expedition. Here allow lug to present some extracts ex-tracts from a letter written by George D. Grant, dated Devil's Gate, Nov. '2: "We had no tuow to contend with, until wo got to the Sweetwater. . On the 10 :h and 20th of Octjber! we encountered a very Bevere snow storm. IWe met Brother Willie's company on the 213t. The enow was six to ten inches deep where we rutt them. They wero truly in a bad situation, but wo rendered them all tbe assistance ia our power. Brother W. H. Jvimbail returned with them, al?o several other brethren. Previous to this time we had aeut on an express to ascertain, if possible, ihe eituation and whereabouts ol the company yat back, and report to me. Not thinking it sife for ihem to go farther than Independence Rock, I advised them to wait there. When we overtook them they hael heard nothing from the rear companies, and we had travelled through snow from eight to twelve inches deep all the way irom Willow creek to this place. Not having much feed lor our horses, they were running down very fast, and, not hearing anything from tho companies, I did nut know but what they had taken up quarters for the winter, conseejueniiy wo sent on another express to the Platte bridge. When tho express returned, to my surpri-ie I learned that the companies were ;ill on t:io Platte river, near the upp; r crossinj;, aud hud beu encanipi I tLero nine day, wailing for the bv.y,v to go away, or, 11s they said, 1 1 rt emit their ca'.tle. As quick le.ir.it-l th'., we in-ived un lo meet t:jem. We met Brother Martin's Mar-tin's ivmj-'iM.y at Greiiicwcod cree-!.:, on Lie la-L eh.y of Oluber. Brother fcledgi-lls' fori'.pauy was a few miies l.i?uir.;i. We dealt out tt) Brother Martin's cmupany the clothing, etc., that v.'e bad fur tbem, and next morning, morn-ing, after ? jwiu our wag Jiis full of the tick, the chiUrcn, ai.d the ii-firm, with a gujd amouut of lupage, star to J homeward hi -out noon. The snow ba.-g.:i to fad VL-ry l"a;t, aud continued con-tinued until h.;e at night. It is now about eight inches deep here, and the weath;r is very cold. You can imagis-.c- hrtrteen ot;0 and Gl'O men, o;r,e;i, a:.d Chi dfii, wt:u dt-wn by drawii. Iiandearts tunci-h h;iow and mnd, faiiitir.gty th'.- w-n:dt-; failing chilled ly the e- 1 !; ch.Mreu cryitg. their liailid a : 1 1) - u - t by cold, lin ir f-. (: bleeding, and sludo of them b ire to snow and frvai. Th-' Bight is almost al-most too much fur the e touted uf in. Our comp u vis too small tu hJp much, it is Duly a drop to i b,ici;i -:, as i; were, in comp iris. -n with v.r. is needed. I thh.it that not uver oup.-tbird of M irtiu's c jnipany id able tu walk. Tnis you may think is t xtravaaut, but it is nevertheless never-theless true. la.' 1:10 uf thtfn have gooti cuuruge, aud are in t;ooJ spiiits, but a great many are like children, and do not help themselves much moro, nor realize what is before them. Brother Charts Dicker hai ikiw travelled this ro.id the forty ninth time, and he t.aj s he has never beforo seen so much suow on ti:e Sweetwater at any season of the year. Brother Hunt's company are two or three days back ot us, yet Brol'uar Wheeloek wiil be with them to counsel them, alao sitiifl ot the o.hur hrethcrn who came out." Oai the evening uf Nuvembe-r lit, the handcart company camped at the Sweetwater bridge, on this side of the river, uhniit five iiiiies ou the other side ol Devil's Gate, arriving there about dark. Hif.rc wus a tot or eigtitf n iuebisuf sn ,x ou the ground, wnieh, us ttierj weie hut one or two spad- s iu.:iii:p, tue emigrants luid to sbuv.-: .-. :..y r.'.;.i tiieir Irjiig panri, or tin .ill'---, or anythiu they ceull use fjr ihit purptse, b.-fore tl.ey could pitch their tent., a:,d ihec the ground was froz.Mi 0 hard that it was almost impc.-s'.ble to drive t:;c tent peus into it. tiome of t;:o men were so ive ih.H it toi.li them an hour or two tn clear llu plat"? foi their terhs and eel them up. They won 1 I thvVL'I and scrape away at the hard snuiV a few miuutLj and then rcrt, then bhove! a:.d sr.-peaud rest ag-iiu, und eo ou. Tiio next day the company moVt.d on to Devil's Gale, where were morr of the relief pav:y w.i'nv.'.-fuainl provisions. Th'? iv.j c-.mpames ! 111 rived v.,;-hi:i iwu er tiirefi days alter, j On i!:c j.-'I Joseph A. Yeuug and AI-lI Garr wjr: cel. l as an csprtr-s to Like tu e invey information as lo t.ii' biiua'.invi ai the emigrant. In pr:pariii; f.r tnis expresjouriK-y home, Joseph A. put ou three or four i paiiB of woo'ien Boeks, ft p.ur of moe-' moe-' cisin-i, and a pair ol l.-utl ilo hide overshoes over-shoes with the wool on, and then remarked, "I'ticrc, if my feet fret ze with those- on, they mul stay frozcu I till I get ti Silt Lr.:e." This ctprcsa arrive 1 ut its d est i nation at 4 o'clock ou the mornii-.g e-f iho ld:h. A' D,;i'.'s Gite au earnest council was held to il'.'termine whttusr to endeavor It winter the tinigrants at th'U point, or t j p-ush them on to Sjjt Lake aj fist us pos.i'i'ir). U was decidtd to continue the march to Salt Luke the eume ee;:au. 1'wu or three days after arriving at Desd's Ga e, toe handcart company was iu part reorganized, re-organized, and of the carta were lett tbre. TV.'j, I behove, of tbe best remaining were retained fur each hundred, and lhee were load,d cjiitlly wilh cook. ng ulcnsile, sueh as frying p tns, uake Kettlen stuicepans, aud camp keltic, t-u tliat toe loads j in these few cat. a wero of a .vulguly , nature. The rem ii::dir u ti.a bai:-gaje bai:-gaje of tho cu'iipai.' wn put ou the wagons. UitliT Ih 3 in u .)t:enu nt : thEi company ft.irii-.i fro. 11 i vil's :Gali westward, a ii vb.-n ib i-n ilir e miles away fnr.ul 1 In- ti t ; : Ur ' to Ihe Lor.ii de, ami c.i:tip d at 'a place ku-'-vn -mee a, Marliu's ; ravine. ll s n l e.t n-ily a rtvuie, 1 but a reci'nd t r -,.ti.fc in ihe mouu-! mouu-! tains, whi-'h Icr- inn nlmig im-ir lo ! the river. Tne pi-ige cf Hie riwet:i I wat'.r at tiiis p.dir w-i; a m ver peni-tiou peni-tiou to many ul th" c 'tnpany. l.ke ! Napoleon's na-sii-ul the liere?iua, ' it was tho wui- 1 river crowing ot the 'expedition. ll was tbe last ford that the emigrnnU wade;l ovt r. The water w.h nil', le-s ts 111 tw i t--'j' "itep, pt i ivt p-f 11 h i'.; ni ( : tne il.-- ist parts, but it wtis uHei.s1 ly Oj 1. Tue ice was three tn- lutir inencs thick, and tho bottom of the river muddy or aai'dy. I fort-t :,y how wide the stream w .& t.n-r-, o.jt X tbiuk thirty or fir'y yaids. ii o.-enw.d a good deal u id 1 r :i an that 10 tbo-ie wtio pulkd their Im ndenrts thrf.ugh it. Before t:n eru-'jsii'g was completed, the; nb;;de; j! fv-j n i were closing around, and, as evrjUxly knows, ibat ia the eolde.-l huur ot the tweuty-four, or al lead it hi ems to be si, in a Ircsty time, and it ecemo 1 so then, for cold enough it was. Tho teams and wagons and handcarie aud some of the men lorded tiie river. A son of Heber C. Kimball and a eon of George D. Grant, and I believe several others of the relief party, waded tbe river, helping tho handcarts through and carrying the women and children and some of the uvaker of tbe men over. If I were certain of the names ol ail those brave waders I would insert in-sert them here. In the rear part ol tho company two ilou were pulling oqo ol the baudc.irts, assisted by two or three women. Jur Lhe women pulled as well as the men all the way, bo long as the handcarts lasted. When tho cart arrived at tbe bank of the river, ono of these men, who was much worn dowu, asked, in a plaintive plain-tive tone, "Have we got to go across there?'' On being answered yei, be was eo much aOected that he was completely overcome. That was the last strain. His fortitude and manhood man-hood gave way. Ke exclaimed, "0 deari' I can't go through that," and burst into tears. Ilia wife, who was by his aide, had the stouter heart of the two at that juncture, and Bhe said soothingly, "Don't cry, Jimmy. I'll pull tne handcart for you." A noble and generous oQer, which, however, was uot carried out. Jimmy besought one of the "boys" from "tuo valley," who was in the water, to carry him ovor. Tbe "boy" urged that the women aud children bad the first claim, but finally consented to carry him across. Jimmy got on Ihe back of the "boy" to ride 07cr, and the "boy" started witli bim. This little cpiuude, however, ended badly for Jimmy, for, before be wag carried entirely' acros the "boy" slipped and fell wit Jimmy into tne water, very wet Waiter it was too, and very cold, irevzhiIy cold, en-uh lo congeal any miLig. The women with the handcart were carried oyer safe, aud the cart remained with the one man to pull it through. He rohtd up his p-iula as high as he could, pulled old his stockings and boots which be bad bappeued to receive re-ceive at Greasewood Greek, put on a pair of old shoes he carried with bim, and all alone went iuto the river with naked les and with his cart laden with pots aud kettles. It was easy cnougu to go iuto the river, but not so easy to pull across it and get out ajaiu. The way of ihe ford was to go into the river a lew yards, then turn to the right down stream a distance, perhaps forty or fifty yards, and then aurn to lite left and make lor the opposite bank. When in the water tne narrow bak-es of the cart wheels cut into the stdi botle-m of the rivr bjd, 11 j he sxiu i;ot & tailed. Two of the "boy o" in lue- water went to his help, and one soon exclaimed, "D -u i., you don't puil au ounce!" So hard w-3 lhe tugging at the cart, thai il required lhe utmost combined strength uf the three to take tbe vehicle thruugh sale to dry land. While in tne river the sharp cakes of fi lating ice below the surface of tne wnter (struck against the bare shins of the emigrant, indicting wounds which never healed until be arrived at Salt Lake, aed tee dark scars ol which ho bears to this day. Wood the river was forded, he found that Jimmy and tho women assigned to help pull tbe cart were all gone on to the camp at tho bass of tho mcuntaics, from half a mile to a mile distant. The way to camp was over rising ground, covered with sage brush, and with about a foot of snow on the surface, similar to tho benches adjacent to this city in winter. All alone bo had to pull his heavily Udeu cart over the auow and the clumps of sago brush, for road there was none, till he reached the camp. Going through tho liver aud taking his carl single-handed to camp after he had eflected tho crossing of tne river, on th.it piercing ccld evening, even-ing, was the hardest piece of tugging he had encountered ou the entire journey, and it was the lat on tbe j-'Urney, wbich was much better. vVhen ho arrived at Lhe camp, he had to climb the mountain to cut some cedar tor lire wood. 'Iho "boys" of tho reiief party had cut eome wood for the o.mpi but that was ali appropriated appro-priated bclore be arrived in camp. So he went on tho mountain, and the mountains tin re aro little else than ruck, and ho took his liMle hatchet, for were few in ca:np. Green cedar was of little Use. Xu'hioj; but dry cedar was really scrvici able for fuel, and the dry cedar was almost us hard as iron, whilo his hatchet bal not been ground since he left the Missouri, if it had since he left Iowa city. So I will leave you to imagine bow long ha was that night hjiore ho succeeded iu gelling furl lor those depending on him. At Devil's Gala at tnat time was a eo;t of fort or tra. ling pest, consisting o! several log homes or hula, but vacated when tho emigrauts were there, as it was not a pleasant place for wintering. Htit thoso log huts, witii iri:;.r-'Us wtuJ fires on the !.L"tit'.'3, . i med very comfortable- lo Lhe emigrants, though not large enough to accommodate more thau a , few etl tiieni. j Will, have brought the emigrants alo;g to Devil's Gale, and, as I have exhauiav! your available epace, I qui it leave them there lor ft week. Il thry Killer iu consequence, it will nit be because '.f -lhe height of tbe temperature, tem-perature, for, fctrange as it may seviU, that parti, ular gato is locattd in a semi aictic region, and that particular par-ticular season was of a semi-arctic charader. Tne exact temperature I e. u d not tel', as t do not know thai there was a ll ernmrneler in c-'.mp, ;T 111 any ol the cam, 13. J. J. |