| Show fa A PIONEERS experience the following is considered one of the most moat interesting letters received ivea by the J a won commission spencer clawson chairman commission dear sir 1 I was wag hors bora in irven ayrshire scotland Soot laud maroo march 8 1826 and was baptized zad may 5 1842 in paisley scotland Bc and a knowledge at 01 the divinity of we the latter day work and an inborn desire to gather with the sainte I 1 started without purse or crip scrip and worked my way to liverpool england Eng larid where I 1 mattho met the first apostle I 1 had overseen ever seen wilford woodruff through his JL IL I 1 not got the privilege to work my passage in we the alp ship windsor castle commande oom com mande mandel i by captain patterson Pat tenon we sailed from liverpool on the ard 3rd of october 1845 and landed in now new Orleans Amerio oo on the of Nov november amber I 1 wao waa indeed stranger a si ai ranger la ia a strange land but god was wag torreas to there oreas as Hena he haa mover ever been my friend fur for I 1 have trusted in him and so 10 far have not teto disappointed through captain Patt ersan I 1 received we the means and started for st loule on my arrival at the pondering in my mind what to do and ana where I 1 should shoula go an ol 01 oil I 1 mormon lady balled me by name it was wae dear old mother mcmaster Mo Master from my own native land wita whom I 1 was well acquainted she having been warned in a breaw of my coming and wag othere there to meet meat me and gross greet me itou I 1 felt at home among the be saints into out aut my great desire was to gather wian the tb body of the church tor for that I 1 had bad left jolt home bows and friends and all that was dear to mr me but I 1 was a 0 to remain in bt at jj the saints were leaving nauvoo anu going west to find a home in lathe the ricky mountains I 1 found work in we he coal mines near si louie was doing well but felt I 1 was partaking of the he spirit of the world and ana feared thail thit 1 too oa might tall fall away as ome novas had done inobe in the spring of 47 it was reported that brigham young round with the cou counsel deal of the twelve and others othere were their journey west to find a resting place for or the saints I 1 longed to go with them and share their fate fata so I 1 left my friends and clothing to come alter after there being no convenience only by steamboat and that only in nigh high water and ahou they could got get cargos so I 1 started out on foot and alone and found the saints in winter quarters on we the western bank of the missouri Mie river the pioneers were busy to start some already moved camp as aa far went weal as ai vie elk hors hora river there again the hand band of lod was over me and I 1 found a brother and friend in robert li L campbell who was living with or dr willard richards bonaretti he introduced me to joseph young president of the seventies who inquired all about me on being told by aro dro campbell that we were old friends in the churco and that I 1 had come to stay with the be saints brother joseph said he Is lathe the man I 1 want to live in 10 the family of orson pratt and help wow them as aa the ine roan men bolso are all gone sister bister pratts brother has gone eist anu orso oraon it is going with the pioneers brother david can remain anu and help bister pratt until her bro brothers thersa return PP P I 1 agreed to do no ao and then and wore there joseph ordained ordal we mi to the office of ft a seventy with robert ji L J i campbell assisting aga lating said bald brother joseph brother stuart will have to take the lead to in family prayers and labor in the ministry al all I 1 his hia life 22 I 1 was waa installed Ina to iu the family of brother pratt and ad remained with them until june when I 1 was waa called io 10 drive team for thomas thomaa benbow in captain A 0 smoots company 0 B wallaces s fifty and samuel I 1 urn baws ton ten old father woodruff beling being in the same ten and drove his ble own team all the way to salt lake valley he be being the father of nur ur beloved and honored president wilford woodruff the order in which we crossed tas plain to la now history but thre there were many SOW ads performed which have never been told but which are praiseworthy and equal to anything that has baa been written in the history of 01 the united states state george W hill abs hunter for our company brave to a faults fault as aa the fol lowing incident will illustrate 1 I being ao an eye wit witnel nei oue one day about noon a grizzley bear and her aube were discovered on LID an laland island on the platte river by captain A 0 smoot he stopped d the company PROY and nd detailed our hunter to kill the bear the captain being mounted on his hia gray pony armed fur the tray iray A number or of the brt brei followed toll owed on OB foot with their guns guna AN ai soon BB as they reached the island bland the bear came out of the brush with a 0 grow gloal away went the cap captain tsin horse bores and rider john gilpin like then away went the men on foong foot in a general stampede liko a 11 flook jok of soared ducks into the river leaving our hero brother hill alone to co the bear it was waa a sight eight to be and feared he stood his ground nerved for the fray and one of life or deaths death for the combatants the whole company looking upon we the scene in breathless silence brother hill HilJ gun on abou der what if it should miss fire his life depended on the me shot the bear came slowly on as it if oo on three logo legs raising her bar front paws at every bouno to strike the adversary adver auve eary reary down when within about twenty paces of sac i other erack went the he gun the maddened beast fell on her back shot through the heart but she jumped to her bar leet feet and to ID an instant ran book back to the brush as an if to protect her cubs there she was found dead A cheer went up from the be company while our brave hunter stoid quietly reload reloading ing his bis gun the orders to strike camp for the days day white men and doge dog hunted bunted down the cube while others othen dressed the old hear bear andt and all rejoiced la in a feast of fat things hinge there were many MADY more acts act of bravery and self denial too numerous numer oui to men lion here I 1 leave them for more able writers we arrived to in salt gait lak libke V ey 0 on n the of september 1847 1 I w win 1 a bared in the old fort with thorn benbow and wm garter carter we fared with the refit reel on thistle roots and gel 80 forth but felt happy in the hope of the good time coming we are now about to celebrate at the senal centen C eaten dial abal a time I 1 verily believed was coming but never expected to see gee lu it in I 1 a the spring of 1848 andl john smith the patriarch ra of abe be church and president of the first stake in the valley called on me while at work logs with the whip saw and said be wanted wan fed me its to take a back to winter quarter with letters letten to president BrIg baak young and the brethren fort said bald uncle john they will be anxious to bear from us and many others other want to send letters letten to their friends and thin hf may be considered the first mall all I 1 bant from great salt sal lake varl valley r several of the battalion boys boy are boink back for their the number I 1 la too small email to make it safe afe anti and as you are a young mao man you can go with them just as ai well as an not I 1 said brother smith 1 I 1 am at your service eer vice to KO go or come or stay just as aa the spirit prompts you 31 3 1 said he be go you shall ball be spared by the way and will not loae 1080 an animal the company was organized aa a follows lows william garder president luw bo herg hertzlieb Bilse abner blackburn abner ka Kaul u ike kene de samuel lewis lawr david M stuart we started on the ath day or of march with twelve horses six alx lx to ride sud aud six alx to pact our bedding our pro visions consisted of a little flour floor we fruited to killing game for moist meal by the way the indians took us ue at aab aaa hollow and kept us in their camp two jay days but rosily lot let us u go after getting the most moat of our ammunition we had but little tor for them to pilfer and al though way they were ware on the war lord battened Bott nott ened their hearts hearte and bey gave us a quantity of dried buffalo meat and let us u go in crossing the ha loop fork of the platte we had to wim swim our brother garner could not swim he caught his bl hone home ty by the tall tali sad and lost loit hla his sun gun in the ove operation ration but saved hla his life one oae old spanish mare that wore the bell got down on a and bar and made no effort to get up alter after making a fire and drying our olo tikes we determined to return with poles polea and help the mare up so 80 as an to fulfill uncle joanos john prophecy that we me would not lose loie on a animal alter laboring for a long time we lost load hope for she obe would mke no effort to help herself ao we concluded to drown her berm by forcing her bead under water there them being about two feet and a halt half of water where she abe jay As ai soon oon as aa we had bad her ber bead under water she made struggle gle for dear life and rolled into the deep water and swam out to our great joy and to the fulfillment of uncle joun dubni 14 we had no other serious mishaps or sickness by y we he way although we had to p pa through snow more or low leu to where cheyenne city la Is built we killed an old buffalo bull near independence alck on the sweetwater and had a rare fare teas arrived in winter quarters Qu artere on ell the alth of april onto bate and sound bound with all our oar animals in tacks tack but laded like ourselves president bf brigham young and the feet of the she brethren received us kindly they were preparing for the journey to the valley and were rejoiced to go learn that all was waa going on right when we left the brethren separated epa rated to find their families millee fa and a ae there were a great number of bettem hr for st louis president Preil dent young called upon no me to so carry the news to that place I 1 there found my clothing at wilford woodruff homes home seat fro irom m bl louis louie by the tae steamboat in m my y absence from which I 1 felt ratified gratified as a I 1 had bad I 1 left fg all to go with the pioneers Pione ere and now my clothing olo thing was waa a godsend tor for I 1 replaced my old gray buckskins tar cor a brand now new alt suit of broadcloth land and proceeded on my labors labor of love to st qt aulo where I 1 was waa nailed balled with do de light and lauded landed by the who land had ibe the welfare of zion in their hearts hearte I 1 went to work with wish a will in the coal for a now new outfit and returned in ili 1849 when all the world was on after gold in ia california since then I 1 have hare filled many minions minion to the statial batea and to scotland in act land and wt went one Us the year 1860 and returned in 1863 in charge of soule in the tb old hip Byno Bure mure and crossed the with them in thomas JR okess company in 1868 on the jtb oi al october we landed la in bait lake city and was waa called upon to tell in the bowery by president Preel dent BrIn hain young our experience I 1 am here yet among the faithful seeking for a place among the pioneers Pion eera of 1847 it if you doom deem we me worthy of that honor DAVID M STUART |
