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LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL


THIRD BOOK OF THE
FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES


By President W. Woodruff


_DESIGNED FOR THE INSTRUCTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUNG LATTER-DAY
SAINTS_


SECOND EDITION.


JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
1882.



PREFACE

About nine months have elapsed since the first edition of this work
was published, and now the whole number issued--over 4,000 copies--are
exhausted, and there is a demand for more.

We, therefore, have much pleasure in offering the Second Edition of
LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL for public consideration, and trust that the
young people who pursue it will be inspired to emulate in their lives
the faith, perseverance and integrity that so distinguish its author.

Brother Woodruff is a remarkable man. Few men now living, who have
followed the quiet and peaceful pursuits of life, have had such an
interesting and eventful experience as he has. Few, if any in this
age, have spent a more active and useful life. Certainly no man living
has been more particular about recording with his own hand, in a daily
journal, during half a century, the events of his own career and the
things that have come under his observation. His elaborate journal has
always been one of the principal sources from which the Church history
has been compiled.

Possessed of wonderful energy and determination, and mighty faith,
Brother Woodruff has labored long and with great success in the Church.
He has ever had a definite object in view--to know the will of the
Almighty and to do it. No amount of self-denial has been too great for
him to cheerfully endure for the advancement of the cause of God. No
labor required of the Saints has been considered by him too onerous to
engage in with his own hands.

Satan, knowing the power for good that Brother Woodruff would be, if
permitted to live, has often sought to effect his destruction.

The adventures, accidents and hair-breath escapes that he has met with,
are scarcely equalled by the record that the former apostle, Paul, has
left us of his life.

The power of God has been manifested in a most remarkable manner in
preserving Brother Woodruff's life. Considering the number of bones
he has had broken, and the other bodily injuries he has received, it
is certainly wonderful that now, at the age of seventy-five years, he
is such a sound, well-preserved man. God grant that his health and
usefulness may continue for many years to come.

Of course, this volume contains but a small portion of the interesting
experience of Brother Woodruff's life, but very many profitable lessons
may be learned from it, and we trust at some future time to be favored
with other sketches from his pen.

THE PUBLISHER



CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Strictness of the "Blue Laws" of Connecticut--The Old Prophet
Mason--His Vision--His Prophecy--Hear the Gospel, and Embrace it--Visit
Kirtland, and see Joseph Smith--A Work for the Old Prophet.

CHAPTER II.

Preparing to go up to Zion--First Meeting with President Young-Camp of
Zion Starts--Numbers Magnified in the Eyes of Beholders--Remarkable
Deliverance-Selfishness, and its Reward.

CHAPTER III.

Advised to Remain in Missouri--A Desire to Preach--Pray to the Lord for
a Mission--Prayer Answered--Sent on a Mission to Arkansas--Dangerous
Journey through Jackson County--Living on Raw Corn, and Sleeping on the
Ground--My First Sermon--Refused Food and Shelter by a Presbyterian
Preacher--Wander through Swamps--Entertained by Indians.

CHAPTER IV.

A Journey of Sixty Miles without Food--Confronted by a Bear--Pass by
Unharmed--Surrounded by Wolves--Lost in Darkness--Reach a Cabin--Its
Inmates--No Supper--Sleep on the Floor--The Hardest Day's Work of my
Life--Twelve Miles more without Breakfast--Breakfast and Abuse Together.

CHAPTER V.

Our Anxiety to Meet a Saint--Journey to Akeman's--A Dream--Find Mr.
Akeman a Rank Apostate--He Raises a Mob--Threatened with Tar, Feathers,
etc.--I Warn Mr. Akeman to Repent--He Falls Down Dead at my Feet--I
Preach his Funeral Sermon.

CHAPTER VI.

Make a Canoe--Voyage down the Arkansas River--Sleep in a Deserted
Tavern--One Hundred and Seventy Miles through Swamps--Forty Miles a
Day in Mud Knee-deep--A Sudden Lameness--Left alone in an Alligator
Swamp--Healed, in Answer to Prayer--Arrival an Memphis--An Odd-looking
Preacher--Compelled to Preach--Powerful Aid from the Spirit--Not what
the Audience Expected.

CHAPTER VII.

Curious Worship--Meet Elder Parrish--Labor Together in
Tenessee--Adventure in Bloody River--A Night of Peril--Providential
Light--Menaced by a Mob--Good Advice of a Baptist Preacher--Summary of
my Labors during the Year.

CHAPTER VIII.

Studying Grammar--Meet Elder Patten--Glorious News--Labor with A. O.
Smoot--Turned out of a Meeting House by a Baptist Preacher--Preach in
the Open Air--Good Result--Adventure on the Tennesse River--A Novel
Charge to Arrest and Condemn Men upon--Mob Poison Our Horses.

CHAPTER IX.

Attending School--Marriage--Impressed to take a Mission to Fox
Islands--Advised to go--Journey to Canada--Cases of Healing--Journey
to Connecticut--My Birthplace--My Mother's Grave--Baptize some
Relatives--Joined by my Wife--Journey on Foot to Maine--Arrival at Fox
Island.

CHAPTER X.

Description of Vinal Haven--Population and Pursuit of the People--Great
Variety of Fish--The Introduction of the Gospel.

CHAPTER XI.

Mr. Newton, the Baptist Preacher, Wrestling with out Testimony--Rejects
it, and Begins to Oppose--Sends for a Methodist Minister to Help
Him--Mr. Douglass' Speech--Our Great Success on the North Island--Go
to the South Island, and baptise Mr. Douglass' Flock--Great Number of
Islands--Boiled Clams--Day of Prayer--Codfish Flakes.

CHAPTER XII.

Return to Mainland--Parting with Brother Hale--My Second Visit to
the Islands--Visit to the Isle of Holt--A Sign Demanded by Mr.
Douglass--A Prediction about him--It's Subsequent Fulfillment--Spirit
of Opposition--Firing of Cannons and Guns to Disturb my Meeting.

CHAPTER XIII.

Meeting with James Townsend--Decide to go to Bangor--Long Journey
through Deep Snow--Curious Phenomenon--Refused Lodging at Eight
Houses--Entertained by Mr. Teppley--Curious Coincidence--Mr Teppley's
Despondence--Arrival at Bangor--Return to the Islands--Adventure with
the Tide.

CHAPTER XIV.

Counseled to Gather with the Saints--Remarkable Manifestation--Case of
Healing--Efforts of Apostates--Visit from Elders--A Conference--Closing
my Labors on the Islands for a Season.

CHAPTER XV.

Return to Scarboro--Journey South--Visit to A. P. Rockwood in
Prison--Incidents of Prison Life--Journey to Connecticut--Baptize my
Father's Household.

CHAPTER XVI.

Taking Leave of my Old Home--Return to Maine--Birth of my
First Child--Appointment to the Apostleship and to a Foreign
Mission--Preparations for the Journey to Zion.

CHAPTER XVII.

Start upon out Journey. A Hazardous Undertaking--Sickness--Severe
Weather--My wife and Child Stricken--A Trying Experience--My Wife
Continues to Fail--Her Spirit Leaves her Body--Restored by the Power of
God--Her Spirit's Experience while Separated from the Body--Death of my
Brother--Arrival at Rochester--Removal to Quincy.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A Peculiar Revelation--Determination of Enemies to Prevent its
Fulfillment--Start to Far West to Fulfill Revelation--Our Arrival
There--Hold a Council--Fulfill the Revelation--Corner Stone of the
Temple Laid--Ordained to the Apostleship--Leave Far West--Meet the
Prophet Joseph--Conference Held--Settle Our Families in Nauvoo.

CHAPTER XIX.

A Day of God's Power with the Prophet Joseph Smith--A Great Number of
Sick Persons Healed--The Mob becomes Alarmed--They try to Interfere
with the Healing of the Sick--The Mob Sent Out of the House--Twin
Children Healed.

CHAPTER XX.

Preparing for our Journey and Mission--The Blessing of the Prophet
Joseph upon our Heads, and his Promises unto us--The Power of the Devil
manifested to Hinder us in the Performance of our Journey.

CHAPTER XXI.

Leaving my Family--Start Upon my Mission--Our Condition--Elder Taylor
the only One not Sick--Reproof from the Prophet--Incidents upon the
Journey--Elder Taylor Stricken--I Leave him Sick.

CHAPTER XXII.

Continue my Journey--Leave Elder Taylor in Germantown--Arrival in
Cleveland--Take Steamer from There to Buffalo--Delayed by a Storm--Go
to Farmington, my Father's Home--Death of my Grandmother--My Uncle
Dies--I Preach his Funeral Sermon--Arrive in New York--Sail for
Liverpool--Encounter Storms and Rough Weather--Arrive in Liverpool.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Our visit to Preston--Our First Council in England, in 1840--We Take
Different Fields of Labor--A Women Possessed of the Devil--Attempt to
Cast it Out and Fail--Turn Out the Unbelievers, and then Succeed--The
Evil Spirit Enters her Child--Commence Baptizing--The Lord Makes Known
His Will to me.

CHAPTER XXIV.

My Journey to Herefordshire--Interview with John Benbow--The Word of
the Lord Fulfilled to me--The Greatest Gathering into the Church Known
among the Gentiles since its organisation in this Dispensation--A
Constable Sent to Arrest me--I Convert and Baptize Him--Two Clerks Sent
as Detectives to Hear me Preach, and both Embrace the Truth--Rectors
Petition to have out Preaching Prohibited--The Archbishop's Reply--Book
of Mormon and Hymn Book Printed--Case of healing.

CHAPTER XXV.

Closing Testimony--Good and Evil Spirits.

CHAPTER XXVI.

How to Obtain Revelation from God--Joseph Smith's Course--Saved
from Death by a falling Tree, by Obeying the Voice of the Spirit--A
Company of Saints Saved from a Steam-boat Disaster by the Spirit's
Warning--Plot to Waylay Elder C. C. Rich and Party Foiled by the same
Power.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Result of not Obeying the Voice of the Spirit--Lost in a
Snowstorm--Saved, in answer to Prayer--Revelation to Missionaries
Necessary--Revelation in the St. George Temple.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Patriarchal Blessings and their Fulfillment--Predictions in my own
Blessing--Gold-dust from California--Taught by an Angel--Struggle with
Evil Spirits--Administered to by Angels--What Angels are sent to the
Earth for.



LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL



CHAPTER I.

STRICTNESS OF THE "BLUE LAWS" OF CONNECTICUT--THE OLD PROPHET,
MASON--HIS VISION--HIS PROPHECY--HEAR THE GOSPEL, AND EMBRACE IT--VISIT
KIRTLAND AND SEE JOSEPH SMITH--A WORK FOR THE OLD PROPHET.

For the benefit of the young Latter-day Saints, for whom the
Faith-Promoting Series is especially designed, I will relate some
incidents from my experience. I will commence by giving a short account
of some events of my childhood and youth.

I spent the first years of my life under the influence of what history
has called the "Blue Laws" of Connecticut.

No man, boy, or child of any age was permitted to play, or do any work
from sunset Saturday night, until Sunday night. After sunset on Sunday
evening, men might work, and boys might jump, shout, and play as much
as they pleased.

Our parents were very strict with us on Saturday night, and all day
Sunday we had to sit very still and say over the Presbyterian catechism
and some passages in the Bible.

The people of Connecticut in those days thought it wicked to believe
in any religion, or belong to any church, except the Presbyterian.
They did not believe in having any prophets, apostles, or revelations,
as they had in the days of Jesus, and as we now have in the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

There was an aged man in Connecticut, however, by the name of Robert
Mason, who did not believe like the rest of the people. He believed
it was necessary to have prophets, apostles, dreams, visions and
revelations in the church of Christ, the same as they had who lived in
ancient days; and he believed the Lord would raise up a people and a
church, in the last days, with prophets, apostles and all the gifts,
powers and blessings, which it ever contained in any age of the world.

The people called this man, the old prophet Mason.

He frequently came to my father's house when I was a boy, and taught me
and my brothers those principles; and I believed him.

This prophet prayed a great deal, and he had dreams and visions, and
the Lord showed him many things, by visions, which were to come to pass
in the last days.

I will here relate one vision, which he related to me. The last time I
ever saw him, he said: "I was laboring in my field at mid-day when I
was enwrapped in a vision. I was placed in the midst of a vast forest
of fruit trees: I was very hungry, and walked a long way through the
orchard, searching for fruit to eat; but I could not find any in the
whole orchard, and I wept because I could find no fruit. While I stood
gazing at the orchard, and wondering why there was no fruit, the trees
began to fall to the ground upon every side of me, until there was not
one tree standing in the whole orchard; and while I was marveling at
the scene, I saw young sprouts start up from the roots of the trees
which had fallen, and they opened into young, thrifty trees before
my eyes. They budded, blossomed, and bore fruit until the trees were
loaded with the finest fruit I ever beheld, and I rejoiced to see so
much fine fruit. I stepped up to a tree and picked my hands full of
fruit, and marveled at its beauty, and as I was about to taste of it
the vision closed, and I found myself in the field in the same place I
was at the commencement of the vision.

"I then knelt upon the ground, and prayed unto the Lord, and asked Him,
in the name of Jesus Christ, to show me the meaning of the vision.
The Lord said unto me: 'This is the interpretation of the vision: the
great trees of the forest represented the generation of men in which
you live. There is no church of Christ, or kingdom of God upon the
earth in your generation. There is no fruit of the church of Christ
upon the earth. There is no man ordained of God to administer in any of
the ordinances of the gospel of salvation upon the earth in this day
and generation. But, in the next generation, I the Lord will set up my
kingdom and my church upon the earth, and the fruits of the kingdom
and church of Christ, such as have followed the prophets, apostles
and saints in every dispensation, shall again be found in all their
fullness upon the earth. You will live to see the day, and handle the
fruit; but will never partake of it in the flesh.'"

When the old prophet had finished relating the vision and
interpretation, he said to me, calling me by my christian name: "I
shall never partake of this fruit in the flesh; but you will, and you
will become a conspicuous actor in that kingdom." He then turned and
left me. These were the last words he ever spoke to me upon the earth.

This was a very striking circumstance, as I had spent many hours and
days, during twenty years, with this old Father Mason, and he had never
named this vision to me before. But at the beginning of this last
conversation, he told me that he felt impelled by the Spirit of the
Lord to relate it to me.

He had the vision about the year 1800, and he related it to me in
1830--the same spring that the Church was organized.

This vision, with his other teachings to me, made a great impression
upon my mind, and I prayed a great deal to the Lord to lead me by His
Spirit, and prepare me for His church when it did come.

In 1832, I left Connecticut, and traveled with my eldest brother to
Oswego County, New York; and in the winter of 1833, I saw, for the
first time in my life, an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. He preached in a school-house near where I lived. I
attended the meeting, and the Spirit of the Lord bore record to me that
what I heard was true. I invited the Elder to my house, and next day I,
with my eldest brother, went down into the water and was baptized. We
were the first two baptized in Oswego County, New York.

When I was baptized I thought of what the old prophet had said to me.

In the spring of 1834, I went to Kirtland, saw the Prophet Joseph
Smith, and went with him, and with more than two hundred others in
Zion's Camp, up to Missouri. When I arrived, at my journey's end, I
took the first opportunity and wrote a long letter to Father Mason, and
told him I had found the church of Christ that he had told me about.
I told him about its organization and the coming forth of the Book of
Mormon; that the Church had Prophets, Apostles, and all the gifts and
blessings in it, and that the true fruit of the kingdom and church of
Christ were manifest among the Saints as the Lord had shown him in the
vision. He received my letter and read it over many times, and handled
it as he had handled the fruit in the vision; but he was very aged,
and soon died. He did not live to see any Elder to administer the
ordinances of the gospel unto him.

The first opportunity I had, after the doctrine of baptism for the dead
was revealed, I went forth and was baptized for him. He was a good man
and a true prophet, for his prophecies have been fulfilled.



CHAPTER II.

PREPARING TO GO UP TO ZION--FIRST MEETING WITH PRESIDENT YOUNG--CAMP
OF ZION STARTS--NUMBERS MAGNIFIED IN THE EYES OF BEHOLDERS--REMARKABLE
DELIVERANCE--SELFISHNESS, AND ITS REWARD.

I arrived at Kirtland on the 25th of April, 1834, and for the first
time saw the Prophet Joseph Smith. He invited me to his house. I spent
about a week with him, and became acquainted with him and his family,
also with many of the Elders and Saints living in Kirtland, quite a
number of whom were preparing to go up to Zion.

On Sunday, the 27th of April, I attended a meeting in a school-house
in Kirtland, and for the first time heard Elders Sidney Rigdon, Orson
Hyde, Orson Pratt and others speak and bear testimony to the work of
God, and much of the Spirit of God was poured out upon the Saints.

It was the 26th of April, 1834, that I was first introduced to Elders
Brigham Young and H. C. Kimball. When I met Brother Brigham, he had his
hands full of butcher knives; he gave me one, and told me to go and
put a good handle on it, which I did. I also had a good sword, which
Brother Joseph wanted, and I gave it to him. He carried it all the way
in Zion's camp to Missouri, and when he returned home he gave it back
to me.

When I was called to go on a mission to the South I left the sword and
knife with Lyman Wight. When he was taken prisoner at Far West, with
Joseph and Hyrum, he had both the sword and the knife with him. All
their weapons were taken from them, so were the arms of many of the
Saints at Far West, under promise that they should be returned to them
when they were prepared to leave the State. When the brethren went to
get their arms, Father James Allred saw my sword, which Lyman Wight had
laid down, and took it and left his own, and afterwards gave it to me
and I still have it. I prize it because the Prophet Joseph carried it
in Zion's Camp. The knife I never regained.

The first day of May, 1834, was appointed for the Camp of Zion to
start from Kirtland to go up to Missouri for the redemption of their
brethren. Only a small portion of the Camp was ready. The Prophet told
those who were ready, to go to New Portage and wait for the remainder.
I left, in company with about twenty men, with the baggage wagons. At
night we pitched our tents. I went to the top of the hill and looked
down upon the camp of Israel. I knelt upon the ground and prayed. I
rejoiced and praised the Lord that I had lived to see some of the tents
of Israel pitched, and a company gathered by the commandment of God to
go up and help redeem Zion.

We tarried at New Portage until the 6th, when we were joined by the
Prophet and eighty-five more men. The day before they arrived, while
passing through the village of Middlebury, the people tried to count
them; but the Lord multiplied them in the eyes of the people, so that
those who numbered them said there were four hundred of them.

On the 7th, Brother Joseph organized the camp, which consisted of
about one hundred and thirty men. On the following day we continued
our journey. We pitched our tents at night and had prayers night and
morning. The Prophet told us every day what we should do.

We were nearly all young men, gathered from all parts of the country,
and strangers to each other; but we got acquainted very soon, and had a
happy time together.

It was a great school for us to be led by a Prophet of God a thousand
miles, through cities, towns, villages, and through the wilderness.

When persons stood by to count us they could not tell how many we
numbered; some said five hundred, others one thousand.

Many were astonished as we passed through their towns. One lady ran
to her door, pushed her spectacles to the top of her head, raised her
hands, and exclaimed: "What under heavens has broken loose?" She stood
in that position the last I saw of her.

The published history of Zion's Camp gives an account of the bones of
a man which we dug out of a mound. His name was Zelph. The Lord showed
the Prophet the history of the man in a vision. The arrow, by which
he was killed, was found among his bones. One of his thigh bones was
broken by a stone slung in battle. The bone was put into my wagon, and
I carried it to Clay County, Missouri, and buried it in the earth.

The Lord delivered Israel in the days of Moses by dividing the Red Sea,
so they went over dry shod. When their enemies tried to do the same,
the water closed upon them and they were drowned. The Lord delivered
Zion's Camp from their enemies on the 19th of June, 1834, by piling up
the waters in Fishing River forty feet in one night, so our enemies
could not cross. He also sent a great hail-storm which broke them up
and sent them seeking for shelter.

The camp of Zion arrived at Brother Burk's, in Clay County, Missouri,
on the 24th of June, 1834, and we pitched our tents on the premises. He
told some of the brethren of my company that he had a spare room that
some of us might occupy if we would clean it. Our company accepted the
offer, and, fearing some other company would get it first, left all
other business and went to work, cleaning out the room, and immediately
spread down our blankets, so as to hold a right to the room. It was
but a short time afterwards that our brethren, who were attacked by
cholera, were brought in and laid upon our beds. None of us ever used
those blankets again, for they were buried with the dead. So we gained
nothing but experience by being selfish, and we lost our bedding.

I will exhort all my young friends to not cherish selfishness; but
if you have any, get rid of it as soon as possible. Be generous and
noble-hearted, kind to your parents, brothers, sisters and play-mates.
Never contend with them; but try to make peace whenever you can.
Whenever you are blessed with any good thing, be willing to share it
with others. By cultivating these principles while you are young, you
will lay a foundation to do much good through your lives, and you will
be beloved and respected of the Lord and all good men.



CHAPTER III.

ADVISED TO REMAIN IN MISSOURI--A DESIRE TO PREACH--PRAY TO THE LORD FOR
A MISSION--PRAYER ANSWERED--SENT ON A MISSION TO ARKANSAS--DANGEROUS
JOURNEY THROUGH JACKSON COUNTY--LIVING ON RAW CORN, AND SLEEPING ON THE
GROUND--MY FIRST SERMON--REFUSED FOOD AND SHELTER BY A PRESBYTERIAN
PREACHER--WANDER THROUGH SWAMPS--ENTERTAINED BY INDIANS.

After Joseph, the Prophet, had led Zion's Camp to Missouri, and we had
passed through all the trials of that journey, and had buried a number
of our brethren, as recorded in history, the Prophet called the Camp
together, and organized the Church in Zion, and gave much good counsel
to all.

He advised all the young men, who had no families, to stay in Missouri
and not return to Kirtland. Not having any family, I stopped with
Lyman Wight, as did Milton Holmes and Heman Hyde. We spent the summer
together, laboring hard, cutting wheat, quarrying rock, making brick,
or anything else we could find to do.

In the fall I had a desire to go and preach the gospel. I knew the
gospel which the Lord had revealed to Joseph Smith was true, and of
such great value that I wanted to tell it to the people who had not
heard it. It was so good and plain, it seemed to me I could make the
people believe it.

I was but a Teacher, and it is not a Teacher's office to go abroad and
preach. I dared not tell any of the authorities of the Church that I
wanted to preach, lest they might think I was seeking for an office.

I went into the woods where no one could see me, and I prayed to the
Lord to open my way so that I could go and preach the gospel. While I
was praying, the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and told me my prayer
was heard and that my request should be granted.

I felt very happy, and got up and walked out of the woods into the
traveled road, and there I met a High Priest who had lived in the same
house with me some six months.

He had not said a word to me about preaching the gospel; but now, as
soon as I met him, he said, "The Lord has revealed to me that it is
your privilege to be ordained, and to go and preach the gospel."

I told him I was willing to do whatever the Lord required of me. I did
not tell him I had just asked the Lord to let me go and preach.

In a few days a council was called at Lyman Wight's, and I was ordained
a Priest and sent on a mission into Arkansas and Tennessee, in company
with an Elder. This mission was given us by Elder Edward Partridge, who
was the first Bishop ordained in the Church.

The law of God to us in those days was to go without purse or scrip.
Our journey lay through Jackson County, from which the Saints had just
been driven, and it was dangerous for a "Mormon" to be found in that
part of the State.

We put some Books of Mormon and some clothing into our valises,
strapped them on our backs, and started on foot. We crossed the ferry
into Jackson County, and went through it.

In some instances the Lord preserved us, as it were by miracle, from
the mob.

We dared not go to houses and get food, so we picked and ate raw corn,
and slept on the ground, and did any way we could until we got out of
the county.

We dared not preach while in that county, and we did but little
preaching in the State of Missouri. The first time I attempted to
preach was on Sunday, in a tavern, in the early part of December, 1834.
It was snowing at the time, and the room was full of people. As I
commenced to speak the landlord opened the door, and the snow blew on
the people; and when I inquired the object of having the door opened in
a snowstorm, he informed me that he wanted some light on the subject. I
found that it was the custom of the country.

How much good I did in that sermon I never knew, and probably never
shall know until I meet that congregation in judgment.

In the southern portion of Missouri and the northern part of Arkansas,
in 1834, there were but very few inhabitants.

We visited a place called Harmony Mission, on the Osage river, one
of the most crooked rivers in the west. This mission was kept by a
Presbyterian minister and his family.

We arrived there on Sunday night at sunset. We had walked all day with
nothing to eat, and were very hungry and tired. Neither the minister
nor his wife would give us anything to eat, nor let us stay over night,
because we were "Mormons," and the only chance we had was to go twelve
miles farther down the river, to an Osage Indian trading post, kept by
a Frenchman named Jereu. And this wicked priest, who would not give us
a piece of bread, lied to us about the road, and sent us across the
swamp, and we wallowed knee deep in mud and water till ten o'clock at
night in trying to follow this crooked river. We then left the swamp,
and put out into the prairie, to lie in the grass for the night.

When we came out of the swamp, we heard an Indian drumming on a tin
pail and singing. It was very dark, but we traveled towards the noise,
and when we drew near the Indian camp quite a number of large Indian
dogs came out to meet us. They smelt us, but did not bark nor bite.

We were soon surrounded by Osage Indians, and kindly received by Mr.
Jereu and his wife, who was an Indian. She gave us an excellent supper
and a good bed, which we were thankful for after the fatigue of the day.

As I laid my head on the pillow I felt to thank God, from the bottom of
my heart, for the exchange of the barbarous treatment of a civilized
Presbyterian priest, for the humane, kind and generous treatment of the
savage Osage Indians.

May God reward them both according to their deserts.



CHAPTER IV.

A JOURNEY OF SIXTY MILES WITHOUT FOOD--CONFRONTED BY A BEAR--PASS BY
UNHARMED--SURROUNDED BY WOLVES--LOST IN DARKNESS--REACH A CABIN--ITS
INMATES--NO SUPPER--SLEEP ON THE FLOOR--THE HARDEST DAY'S WORK OF MY
LIFE--TWELVE MILES MORE WITHOUT BREAKFAST--BREAKFAST AND ABUSE TOGETHER.

We